What makes you feel like a kid again? What makes you feel footloose and fancy free, unburdened with no responsibility? If you’ve never stopped to consider this, take a few moments to do so.
Is it splashing in a rain puddle?
Eating an ice cream cone?
Hopping on a swing?
A game of tag?
Does the tune “School days, school days, dear old golden rule days?” remind you of years gone by and simpler days?
Whatever it is that makes you feel the carefree nature of childhood, maybe it’s time to revisit those memories that make your heart sing, bring happiness to your mind and joy to your soul.
Benefits of Revisiting a Childhood Mindset
Embracing a childlike mindset can provide significant mental, emotional, and physical benefits by fostering a sense of curiosity, playfulness, and living in the moment.
A few important benefits include:
- Enhanced Presence and Mindfulness: Children typically live in the moment without worrying about the past or future. Cultivating this childlike mind helps us appreciate the ordinary, stay grounded, and focus on the present, which, in turn, benefits overall well-being.
- Revitalization and Physical Activity: Playful activities can be a fun form of exercise (like skipping or running around) and a great way to boost your energy level. The saying, “We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing,” illustrates how playing can contribute to feeling younger.
- Better Mental Health and Stress Relief: Engaging in spontaneous play and laughter can serve as a counteragent to stress by lowering our blood pressure and stress hormone levels. Childlike activities can also aid in regulating and processing emotions.
- Healthier Interpersonal Connections: Sharing laughter and fun in a playful mindset can enhance trust, build stronger bonds, and develop compassion in all relationships. It also helps us better connect with our own grandchildren.
- More Confidence and Reduced Inhibitions: Younger kids generally aren’t concerned with judgment or criticism from others. Reclaiming this uninhibited nature allows us to be more authentic, step out of our comfort zones, and grow in self-confidence.
Five Ways to Revisit Your Childhood
1. Make a Plan
Plan the day and put it on your calendar (not an optional step – you are important, so schedule this time for YOU.) Block out the entire day to celebrate things that helped make up who you are. You might consider visiting the town you grew up in if you no longer live there. Make any necessary travel arrangements. Make plans to visit your old schools, a former church, theme parks you enjoyed as a child, and any “old hangouts” that may still exist. On that day, wear whatever color was your favorite as a child. Oh, and since cell phones weren’t around when we were children, plan to make it a “phone free” day as much as possible
2. Meals
What were your favorite meals as a child? Ditch the diet for just one day (unless it’s something medically related) and visit a restaurant you enjoyed frequently as a child or teen. Make a grocery list for your “five year old me” comprised of your favorite childhood snacks and meals. Throw caution to the wind and ditch the fruits and veggies if you must. If your favorites were Rice Krispies (snap, crackle, pop!), popcorn, ice cream sandwiches, push-ups, or freeze pops, be sure to include them on the list.
I remember Saturday mornings when my uncle would load my cousins and I into the back of the pickup truck and take us to Bill Meadows Station for hot dogs and a bottled Coke where I would drop in salted peanuts before drinking it. My dad had a trick where he would pick a turnip from the garden, polish it off and cut the stem to where I could hold it and tell me to eat my “ice cream.” It worked. To this day I still enjoy eating a raw turnip. I know that grosses some of you out but hey, I’m from the south, so what can I say? I also eat cornbread soaked in buttermilk from a glass.
3. Games and Toys
What games and toys did you play as a child? From card games like Spoons or Slap Jack, to board games such as Candy Land, Trouble, Chutes and Ladders, or Monopoly, find a few friends to play along. Are you still friends with a childhood bestie? Be sure to invite her to your special day for some good old-fashioned laughter and fun as you reminisce. If you have grandchildren, you might even take them to Chuck E. Cheese. While we didn’t grow up with this establishment, there are plenty of games that will make you feel like a kid again. It may be the place where “a kid can be a kid”, but it’s also a place where adults can be a kid again, too. Even watching small children play the games can help you get in “kid mode” and bring back feelings from childhood. Were mudpies your thing? You won’t want to eat them, but you can still enjoy the sensory fun of making them once again.
If you played a sport and can still play, get a group together for some friendly competition. If you can no longer play, consider attending a sporting event of your local high school team.
4. Crafts
Whether it’s making a paper chain where you list favorite things from childhood, fingerpainting, making a collage, or cross stitch, this will be a good way to relax and bring out your creativity. You could even consider taking a class such as painting or knitting.
5. Music
Last but certainly not least, create a playlist of songs from childhood that you played constantly on repeat. What songs were especially meaningful to you or just plain fun? Was it “YMCA” by the Village People or “Celebration” by Kool and the Gang that almost always got everyone on their feet? I distinctly remember singing “Bad, Bad, Leroy Brown” by Jim Croce and “I’d Like to Buy the World A Coke” a million times as a child. In fact, I confess that I still have those “golden goodies” on 45 rpm vinyls and many more. If dancing tickles your fancy, get up and move to the beat.
Taking a day to spend time doing things you love is rejuvenating and the return on investing in yourself is immeasurable.
Oh, and don’t forget to repeat this special day annually. Set your calendar event to be a recurring one.
NOTE: If your childhood was traumatic, consider doing things you wish you had gotten to do as a child.
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Wendy Clements experienced the struggles of going through unwanted separation, divorce, and single parenting before falling in love with Jesus all over again. Now, as a Christian speaker and life coach to Christian women, she helps those who, because of various circumstances, aren’t sure who they are anymore and don’t feel adequate, to flourish and love again. An Athens, GA native, Wendy holds a BBA from the University of Georgia and is a member of the AACC and ICCA. She enjoys speaking to women’s groups, cooking, reading, and spending time with grandchildren.
I love this! Earlier this Spring my sister and I, along with some friends, took a quick trip to San Antonio. There we had an amazing experience at a place called Hopscotch (https://letshopscotch.com/). We had no idea what to expect. We had a great time in the ball pit. I had never been in one. We all felt like children!
WOW, Marita! I may have to add this place to my list. Thank you for telling us about it. What a fun adventure, and no doubt you felt like a kid all over again. I took my kids to one when they were small and we had a blast, but I don’t think it had as many balls as this seems to have. I especially love your fun photo! Were the balls plastic or foam or something else?
They were all white, kind of clear, hollow plastic. The light in the pit kept changing. That made it a more adult version of this child-like activity. They had many other interesting activities. Some, of course, we like more than others. Here’s another one with one of my friends. You can see me in the background taking the picture.
Fantastic!