As adults and busy parents, life can feel monotonous at times. Yes, we adore the time we spend with our kids and families and always appreciate when things are going well at work, but we can often lose that little spark and zest for life as the years venture on and that just doesn’t feel right.
If life has been a little dull of late and you feel like you need to step out of your comfort zone, it may be time to indulge in your creative side and get a little more playful in how you approach life. For different people, this can mean different things as it all depends on your sense of playfulness and overall vibe when it comes to incorporating whimsy into your everyday life while having a bit of fun.
If you find yourself feeling envious of your kids and how they face life and are looking for some creative and easy ideas on how you can add a sense of playfulness into your daily routine, keep reading.
Identify what kind of play truly appeals to you by discovering your play personality and style.
Most of us have heard all about love languages and our styles of communication, but have you ever stopped to think about what might be your signature “play personality?” According to Psych Central and Dr. Stuart Brown, who is a researcher and founder of The National Institute for Play, eight types of play personalities can help you better identify what kind of play appeals to you best.
For instance, if you enjoy collecting things, anything from vintage books to stamps, you might have a “collector” style of play. For those who find it thrilling to engage with others in all sorts of games where you have a chance at winning, you might have a “competitor” playing style. If you were always one who was off venturing into the woods as a child and discovering the best moss-covered trees for your magical land of fairies, you might have an “explorer” play style.
The point is, whatever your play personality might be, if you’re looking to really connect with that playful side within yourself, this is a great place to start to discover what appeals to you, even as an adult, and what will have you coming back for more fun times.
Dedicate at least some of your free time to creative pursuits that you don’t have to be good at but make you happy.
When was the last time you took part in a creative activity that didn’t involve helping your kid put the finishing touches on their science project or painting the trim in your den? Unless you are deliberate about it and schedule the time, a lot of those creative pursuits that we often find fill us up in the most nourishing ways tend to take the back burner when we’re adults with already full lives.
The Genius Of Play notes that “being playful is a key way to get more out of life” and even though a lot of those playful times can happen spontaneously and in the moment, there is nothing wrong with making the time to pursue creative projects that bring us a true sense of joy.
The organization explains that for adults who are consciously looking to bring a sense of play into their everyday lives, it’s important to “use unscheduled time to be creative.” Whether that includes getting out your old watercolor paint set, putting in the garden of your dreams, or even signing up for community theatre, as long as you’re enjoying yourself and the experience that involves a sense of play, you don’t have to be the most talented person in the world as long as you’re connecting to this special part of yourself.
Bring a sense of playfulness into your daily routines.
According to Psychology Today, “play has many flavors and can be brought into some of the more routine moments of our lives to add joy.” Adult life, especially being a parent, can be stressful at times due to all of the responsibilities that we take on, so we can often lose that spark connected to playfulness that very much exists in childhood.
The mental health publication explains that a great way to break up the mundane activities of daily life, whether it’s making dinner or putting away laundry, is to bring “an element of playfulness and novelty into our day” that changes things up in unexpected and entertaining ways. For example, you could make a game out of dinner by putting together a folder of easy-to-make fun meals and have your kids choose one night per week to help you out in the kitchen.
Or maybe it’s time to clean out your closet for the season. After a solid hour or two of sorting things out and making your piles of what’s staying and what’s going, you could reward yourself with a nice cold beverage out on the patio with your favorite music blaring. There are so many ways you can turn any routine chores or monotonous activities around the house into something that feels more creative, playful, and fun.
Try not to be afraid of the unknown and embrace new experiences.
Think back to when you were a child and it was just a part of your day-to-day life to jump into new experiences head first without a care in the world. Things like showing up on the first day of school to meet your new teacher and see who’s in your class to starting ballet or playing a soccer game for the first time are all great examples of how a lot of kids are expected to and usually deliver in terms of forging ahead into the unknown, even if they might be apprehensive at first.
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Experts note that trying something new, whether it’s something as simple as planning to go to a new restaurant for date night or popping into a local bookshop you’ve been interested in when they’re hosting a cool event, can be a great way to sort of get out of a “rigid routine” and incorporate a sense of playfulness that feels exciting yet completely doable to most adults.
Spend time doing things you enjoyed as a child, especially if it includes your children and pets.
One of the best ways you can cater to your playful side is by getting back to basics and engaging in some of the activities you used to enjoy when you were younger, and if they can involve your kids and pets, so much the better.
Activities such as going to the park and partaking in a game of tag or hide-and-seek with the kids or putting everyone in the car and hitting the beach for a few hours for some sandcastle building and fetching the ball from within the soft waves. The really cool part about maintaining a sense of playfulness with your kids is that since they often live so in the moment, they’re very likely not to judge your behavior and just laugh and play along with you in the most authentically beautiful way.
