Over the last year and a half, our lives have been upended, which has only reinforced the importance of making time to play. I was looking at a wellness app and there was an challenge to “make time for play” for 10 days. This made me think a lot about how as we get older, we forget to play like we did when we were kids. This also tied into the idea of trying to find your passion in life, which we can only do if we get back to our childlike selves. 

So this week, I wanted to talk about simple, ways that you can sneak in some play time. 

Play for 5 minutes

• Turn on your favorite song and dance like nobody’s watching. Studies show that dancing is good for our brain and it gets your body moving. 
• Skip. Many of us skipped around as kids, but when was the last time you skipped as an adult? Not only is it fun, it’s also a great way to quickly boost your heart rate.
• Do some Mad Libs. They take minutes and are bound to make you laugh.

Play for 10 minutes

• Paint or make something. Getting your creative juices going can help you problem solve in your everyday life, and is fun! 
• Do some karaoke. Turn on some of your favorite songs to sing along to and belt it out.
• Color in a coloring book. Coloring books geared for adults have been very popular in recent years so you’re bound to find one you like.

Play for 30 minutes 

• Go to the park and swing. It’s likely been years since you’ve been on a traditional swing at the park, so why not give it a try? 
• Do a puzzle. Yeah, this might take more than 30 minutes, but at least you can get a start on it.
• Play an instrument. This one will also take more than 30 minutes, but there are tons of mental benefits to playing an instrument, and 30 minutes at a time will get you where you want to be. 

If you make play a part of your day, eventually you may pick up some lifelong habits and skills that will benefit you for years to come.

What are some ways you find to play in your life?