Of course, it’s always a good time to play, but I get so busy working that I forget that. So this month’s entry is dedicated to fun and play in all its forms. What does it mean to play?
Play by moving around. Dance. Wiggle. Go for a walk around the block. Put on high heels and dance salsa. Put on your running shoes and go play basketball with the guys. Ride your bicycle along the bike path at the beach. Turn cartwheels on your front lawn. Walk around the office and say "Hi" to your coworkers. Flap your arms like a chicken (maybe not in front of your coworkers). Do an Elvis imitation. Do a karate kid imitation. Run through the sprinklers at the park. Play tag with your children or even with another adult. Play Twister. Pretend to be a jungle animal for your toddler nephew. Throw your arms out wide and spin in circles until you can’t walk without veering to one side. See how long you can hula hoop.
Get creative! Create a sculpture. Write a limerick or a love poem. Sketch a picture of the flowers your lover gave you. Share your secrets with your journal. Upload digital photos and make a memory book. Learn to string beads. Try a new recipe or create one of your own. Paint a mural on one of your dining room walls. Tie-dye tshirts. Compose a song. Sing for your friends at a karaoke bar. Do a skit at a campfire. Go see a theatre performance. Carve a mini totem pole. Splash paint on a canvas and create abstract art in your favorite colors.
Play with a purpose. Build a treehouse for your kids. Participate in a bowling fundraiser for a charity. Run a 5K or walk tens of miles to raise awareness. Bake cookies and take them to someone who doesn’t get out much, and maybe bring a board game with you and just hang out. Go serve food at a homeless shelter or go collect blankets and clothes to donate.
Play with others. Have a tickle fight. Invite friends over for a BBQ. Go for a hike. Skip down the street holding hands without worrying who will see you. Make a human pyramid. Have a bonfire at the beach and makes s’mores. Hold your spouse’s hand at the movie. Savor the softness of your lover’s lips as you enjoy kissing in the moonlight. Make out with your clothes on. Play Ring around the Rosie or duck duck goose. Go Christmas caroling in July, or at least go singing door to door. Go skinny dipping in your sister’s pool (but only with her permission, and only if she’s jumping in with you!). Throw a party for no reason at all.
Have a sense of adventure! Drive up the coast for lunch, or try a new restaurant nearby. Take a train through the Rocky Mountains. Learn to ski. Have dinner at the Eiffel Tower. Go swimming with dolphins. Take a cruise to Alaska. Go snorkeling in the Caribbean. Zipline in Costa Rica. Fly a helicopter over a volcano. Okay, so the adventure part might not be an every day “play”, but it’s fun to dream about and worth making plans to do something on your bucket list.