10 Ways to PLAY!
If you want to have a splendid life and stay young at heart, you need to implement one crucial aspect to your days: PLAY!
This is not a ploy to "get in touch with your inner child." This is a fact, supported by research somewhere I'm sure, but for now, know that I am right and will be proved right by someone else's research. I'm a writer! You can't expect me to do all the work!
Anyway, people usually assume children know the most about play and need to do the most playing. Adults need to leave playing behind them and move on to more important matters, right?
If you want to life a miserly life and die of heart failure or depression, sure, go ahead.
I'm convinced that we are made to play. All animals play and we humans have a myriad more "unnecessary actions" than any animal on earth that we employ just for our enjoyment. Play helps us stretch our imaginations, lowers stress, allows us to transcend the daily grind, learn how to interact with others socially, helps us implement the physical, verbal or mental skills that we utilize throughout our lives, and is just plain FUN!
If anything, as adults with our ever increasing burdens of job, home, community and social responsibilities weighing heavily day by day, we may need to play even more than children do! Children are barely starting out in their capacity for play, but it is necessary for their development. As we grow, I believe our skill and aptitude for play should only increase and diversify. What do major league sports, symphonies, art galleries, teachers, parents, veterinarians, writers, doctors, astronomers, geologists, dancers, fashion designers and even mathematicians have in common? All fields have some aspect of play, refined from our passions, delights, and imaginations, and focused to specific purposes.
That said, here are ten possible ways to implement play this weekend. Pick one, play, then tell me how it goes:
1. It's Fall! Rake a pile of leaves and jump in! Bring a friend, jump in the pile while your stodgy neighbor is watching from across the street and make their day too. (Better yet, jump in your neighbor's leaf pile! ...only if you're willing to help them rake it over again!)
2. Walk along a sidewalk edge. Remember doing that as a kid? Well, on your way to the car from the grocery store or work, or down the street in your neighborhood, try balancing on an edge the whole way.
3. Take photos of yourself and friends making ridiculous facial expressions.
4. If you like sports, go out and start an impromptu game of catch.
5. Find a hill at a park, take off your shoes and run madly screaming downhill. Or if you can stand getting dizzy, roll down on your side.
6. Pet a goat. Yes, I said that. Goats are hilarious. Find one at a nearby petting zoo or farm and you will see what I mean.
7. Skip. I don't care if you're 45. How long has it been since you've skipped along? Find a park and skip, or if you are daring, skip merrily down a stretch of hallway at the mall. Link arms with a friend and skip from your car to the ice cream shop doorway.
8. Play your favorite game. Is it checkers, chess, Settlers, hide and seek?
9. If you have kids and you see them role playing outside in some imaginary game or playing dress up, just join them out of the blue. If you don't have kids, play dress up with friends, swapping accessories, doing make up and hair, or imagine some great adventure and act it out in the park.
10. Experiment with paper, glue and scissors. Sit down with an assortment of craft items on the table and start creating.
PLAY! You will thank me. You are welcome in advance.
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