Let Your Inner Child Have Some Fun
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| Child from painting on shop window Image:M Vonow |
Okay, firstly I think I need to give a definition of 'fun'. According to the Oxford Living Dictionaries, fun means 'enjoyment, amusement or light-hearted pleasure'. I learnt something new when I simply googled 'fun' without asking for the definition. There is an American indie pop group named Fun. I didn't read any more detail because I was determined not to get distracted. As you may have noticed, the internet can be distracting, oh look over there, what a cute kitten.
The difficulty is different people find different activities provide them with enjoyment, amusement or light-hearted pleasure. For example one adult might enjoy blowing bubbles and seeing how big they get before they burst and another person would find that just boring and a bit embarrassing because, well, adults don't do that sort of thing!
However, studies have found it can be beneficial for your health to let go of beliefs of what you can and can't do because of your age and just let your hair down and have some fun, even let your inner child come out and play. If you find this difficult maybe it will be easier if you get some kids involved, whether that be your own if you have young 'uns or grandchildren or your friend's children.
Puppets
You can buy a puppet or two or make your own. A puppet can simply be an old sock with buttons sewn on for eyes. You can add hair and ears if you want or just keep it super simple, slip that sock on your hand and start talking in a silly voice.
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| A puppet made from felt Image:Marie Vonow |
Sand Play
Playing in a sand pit or sand at the beach is therapeutic for adults as well as for children. There is something about the way dry sand slips through your fingers that is calming.
Add a bit of water to make the sand damp and you can build all sorts of things. Because it is going to be knocked down any minute now there is no pressure to create something amazing.
Play Dough
Play dough is easy to make at home.
2 cups plain flour
3/4 cup salt
2 cups water
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 tablespoon cream of tartar
food colouring or flavouring (for scent) if desired
Pour water into a saucepan.
Add flour, salt, oil and cream of tartar.
Stir until well mixed.
Add food colouring one or two drops at a time until you are happy with the shade.
Stir over a medium heat until it is firm and just a tiny bit sticky. Tip onto a floured board and knead a little and roll into a ball.
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| Knead play dough and roll into a ball Image:M Vonow |
Play dough can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
Watch a kid's movie
Movies meant for kids can be lots of fun. Some include jokes or one liners that adults will enjoy more than the kids do because of their life experience. Lines from The Lion King
that always make me laugh which kids probably don't find amusing are,
'Talk about your fixer-upper' (yes, I've been involved in renovating an old house) and
'There's one in every family sire, two in mine actually and they always manage to ruin special occasions'.
If you have no idea of the context of these quotes, perhaps you need to watch the original version of The Lion King. I haven't seen the remake so don't know if these lines are in it.
I also love some of the Studio Ghibli movies and I know other adults who do too. (However, Grave of the Fireflies is a movie with a powerful message but not one to watch if you are looking for light - hearted fun.)
Colouring in
This was once a childrens-only activity. Then it became the 'in thing' for adults and something you could be open about enjoying, if in fact, you do enjoy it. Some adults find colouring helps relieve stress,
http://minamaries.blogspot.com/2018/04/grab-your-coloured-pencils-to-relieve.html
There are plenty of other ways to let 'your inner child' have some fun and what you would benefit from depends on your personality.
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