There comes a point in life when we might start to feel too old to do the things that we used to do as kids. Spontaneous, fun, frivolous things. This can create a feeling of boredom, monotony, and can stop us from enjoying life as much as we otherwise could.
Play and having fun isn’t only essential for kids, it’s essential for adults too. There have been various studies around the positive impact of play and having fun for adults. And results have included stress reduction, boosting energy, improving memory and concentration and better quality of sleep.
Here is a list of 10 things that you can do today just for fun, to embrace your inner child and feel young again!
1. Meet a friend at the park and challenge each other to the most creative races that you can think of. You will have a whole lot of laughs, enjoy the fresh air and get fit at the same time.
2. Find yourself and a group of friends or family (who are in your bubble) some black paper and scissors and cut out silhouettes of each other’s faces. Try not to offend each other too much! You’ll get some hilarious results.
3. Book in for a sledging session at the nearest indoor snow centre. Kids love the snow, and we adults can embrace it too.
4. Remember your favourite school lunch? For me the perfect lunchtime treat was cheese and potato pie with crisps and beans, followed by chocolate concrete and mint custard. Did you know you can find many of the old school recipes on the internet now? Turn back the wheels of time and recreate it for yourself: does it taste how you remember it?
5. Get yourself a pad of paper and a pencil and learn how to draw cartoon characters either from a book or from instructions on the internet. Once you have the principles, create a short cartoon storyboard just for your own amusement and satisfaction.
6. Make a pompom, and if you get good at that: how about a pompom Christmas wreath? You only need some cardboard, a couple of balls of wool and some scissors. Just remember to tie that wool tight between the cardboard before you pull it completely apart, otherwise all of those pieces of wool will end up on the floor and this time you won’t have your mum and dad there to clear up the mess.
7. Put on your favourite song – something really upbeat. Turn the volume up, dance around the house and feel free to sing into your hairbrush for added enjoyment!
8. Get into your pyjamas and watch your favourite film from your childhood – how did you feel when you used to watch it as a kid? Popcorn, chocolate and ice cream are optional.
9. Book an indoor sky-diving session – it’s both exhilarating and fun. And if you’re already imagining yourself doing somersaults, you may be surprised to find that it’s not quite as easy as you think…
10. Create your own scavenger hunt. Either team up with someone else and provide clues for each other to make it more challenging, or you can create a list for yourself and set off on a solo search. Get outside, look around, and take home some treasures from nature.
By: Claire Maxwell