#2013alive: Be a Kid Again!

October’s 12 Months of Wellness challenge is all about fun, and who are the experts in this area? Playground monkeys, fort-builders, candy-crunchers—kids have cornered the market on fun. Still, there’s no reason that us older folks can’t shrug off our business-formal fussiness and tap into the uninhibited joy that comes so easily to children. This week, we do some kid stuff.

The power of play

“Youth is a wonderful thing. What a crime to waste it on children,” quipped George Bernard Shaw. Make youth a mindset—not a number—by continuing to have fun in a laid-back, childlike way. Just watching my nephews reminds me how loose and silly we are as kids. (It’s also exhausting; I would need three cups of black tea and an afternoon nap to be half as energetic.) 

What makes your inner child peek out? For me, the thrill of building the best blanket fort ever is a challenge that I will probably enjoy well into my golden years. If fort-building isn’t your thing, get out of an adult rut with one of these childhood activities.

• Engage in some adult play (which may sound like a euphemism, but I promise it’s not).
• Play a video game on a new console or reminisce with an oldie whose blocky graphics will, if nothing else, be worth a giggle.
• Climb a tree or jump rope in place of your usual exercise routine.
• Get nostalgic with a movie or book that you used to love.
• Host a sleepover, complete with makeovers and singing along to the Spice Girls.
• Imitate the kid(s) in your life—sit, eat, and play like them and you’ll be having fun in no time.

Get in touch

Everyone has a favourite activity that reminds them of something they loved to do as a kid. What’s yours? Chat with us in the comments below, on Facebook, or over at Twitter (using the hashtag #2013alive). And don’t forget to download our October goal sheet to put all the fun you’re having in writing.