Last year I read Play: How It Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul by Stuart Brown. It challenged me to think differently about something we often leave behind as we grow up: play.
As parents, we usually recognise how important play is for our children. We encourage it, make time for it, and celebrate it. Yet we rarely stop to ask ourselves the same question:
When was the last time I played?
Watching my own children—currently aged 6, 4 and 2—has made me appreciate play more than ever. They are always ready to play. If I tell them somewhere is a designated play area, they immediately begin creating games and adventures. To be honest, they don’t even need a designated space. Given the opportunity, they’ll turn almost anywhere into a place to play.
I’ve also noticed the difference between days when they’ve had plenty of time to play and days when they haven’t. They seem calmer, more creative, more connected, and simply more themselves after they’ve had the freedom to play.
Children don’t just enjoy play.
They thrive because of it.
But What About Adults?
Somewhere along the way, many of us stop playing.
We become busy with work, responsibilities, raising children, paying bills, and keeping life running. Play begins to feel like something that’s nice to have rather than something we genuinely need.
Of course, adult play doesn’t usually look like building blanket forts or pretending to run a café.
(Although if that’s what brings you joy, I’m all for it!)
Play changes as we grow, but our need for it doesn’t disappear.
What Is Play?
Play is anything we do simply because we enjoy it.
It’s not about achieving, performing, or ticking something off a to-do list. It’s something we choose because it brings us life.
That could be:
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dancing around the kitchen
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singing in a choir
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swimming
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horse riding
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painting
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gardening
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playing a musical instrument
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learning a new craft
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laughing with friends
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kicking a football around
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building Lego with your children just because it’s fun
The activity itself matters less than how it makes you feel.
Why Play Matters for Wellbeing
Research suggests that play can support creativity, learning, resilience, relationships, and our ability to cope with stress.
But perhaps the greatest gift of play is that it gives us permission to stop performing.
When we’re playing, we often become less concerned about how we look or what other people think. We laugh more easily. We become curious. We become present.
In many ways, play helps us reconnect with ourselves.
At Laughing Well, that’s one of the reasons I believe laughter, breathing, and playful connection are such powerful wellbeing tools. They help us step out of survival mode and remember that joy has an important place in everyday life.
Rediscover Your Kind of Play
The wonderful thing about play is that it looks different for everyone.
For you, it might be hiking through the countryside.
For someone else, it might be pottery, paddleboarding, photography, or singing in the car with the windows down.
If you’re not sure what your version of play is anymore, that’s okay.
In fact, it’s an invitation.
Try something new.
Be curious.
Experiment without worrying whether you’re good at it.
Play isn’t about being productive.
It’s about discovering what brings you joy.
Because wellbeing isn’t only about managing stress when it becomes overwhelming. It’s also about making space for the things that help us feel alive.
Perhaps this week, you could ask yourself one simple question:
What would it look like for me to play again?