As a kid, I loved Lego. I could come up with an idea, grab my box of Lego and make anything I could dream up. Since I loved space, I have fond memories of building Lego spaceships and then driving around my neighborhood on my bike while “flying” my Lego spaceship.

Probably not the safest thing I could have done as a kid, but I didn’t know any better.

I would sit in my living room and go through the cardboard box (an old Avon box as my mom was an Avon salesperson for many years) looking for that right piece. I can still hear the rattle of the Lego pieces in my memory. How my grandfather didn’t want to banish me to another room is beyond me.

But playing, just for fun, became a way for me to deal with stress and anxiety. Building Lego spaceships also helped me socially as my friends and I had something in common that we could work on together.

We would act out the latest Star Wars movie with our Lego ships and pretend that we were off in a galaxy, far, far away.

Now I’m an adult, and playtime is considered only for kids.

As adults, we’re supposed to like adult things or be too busy to play. However, I would disagree with those that knock the value of play. Without downtime, I think we miss out on the joy of reconnecting with ourselves and our friends.

If we only work, then that’s a whole other sort of problem.

I challenge you to think about what you liked as a kid and see if you still can have fun with that.

Maybe that’s collecting (stamps, vintage toys, etc.), building/creating (knitting, building models, etc.), making art (painting, sculpting, mudroom, etc.) or sports.

In our modern times, we’re often too busy to make time to play. I recommend that you challenge that.

Here are a few simple ideas that you can do that are a bit off the beaten path:

• Draw. Put on some music, grab some crayons, close your eyes, and just let your hand draw to the music. Art and music therapy are great ways to reconnect and have some downtime. My daughter recently asked my wife, her brother, and me to draw with our eyes closed to music, and I had a great time. Give it a try, and if you have kids, bring them into it as well. Have fun with it!

• Play a game together. I’ve talked about games that I’ve enjoyed, and there’s a whole long list of fun games you can play. If you have more than three people, then you can play the card game Goop!. Or if you want to be more adventurous, I recommend cooperative games:

  • Magic Maze: This board game is simple. You’re all trapped in a mall and need to get four items and then get to the exit. The only problem is that you can’t speak to communicate during the game. You need to work together without words (ages 8+).

  • Forbidden Island: You and your friends are all trapped on an island that’s sinking. You need to work together to get various treasures and leave the island before it goes underwater.

What I like about cooperative games is that it’s not the group fighting to see who is #1. Working together as a team is fun and takes some of the pressure out of play that might create conflict amongst a group.

If games aren’t your thing, then explore your creative side. Coloring, cooking, Canoeing, crafting, canning, camping—the list goes on.

Whatever you decide, be sure to have fun!

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