When Did You Last Play?
A few days ago Winter Storm Jonas buried the Mid Atlantic and Northeast under two feet of snow. It was quite a doozy and has kept schools and businesses closed around the Washington D.C. area for days. Obviously, this has caused a lot of problems. But I’d like to take a minute to focus on all of the fun people have been having.
Snow days are such a great excuse to play! Something about the snow just makes you want to slide down a hill, build a snowman, or ping someone with a snowball. I have done my share of shoveling, but I also found time to play in the snow. We even kept the fun going when the sun went down playing board games by the fire.
Snow seems to bring out the kid in us all. But wouldn’t it be nice if we didn’t have to wait for a snow day to play? Play is really important for children. It helps them learn social skills, practice problem solving, and develop their imaginations. Children who play more are healthier and happier. But play is good for adults, too. It’s a great way to relieve stress and it helps us learn new things, be more creative, and experience more positive emotions. Play is good for everyone’s well-being.
So don’t wait for the next winter storm to play. Start playing more right now. Schedule playdates with your friends to take a painting class, sing karaoke, or learn to belly dance. Bounce on the trampoline or slide down the slide at the playground with your kids. Play legos with them like my friend Kristin does. Schedule family game nights to play Sequence or Bananagrams. Go paddleboarding or country line dancing with your partner. Play ping-pong. Find things that you enjoy and spend more time doing them. Playing helps you live your best life.
P.S. Of all the snow pictures and videos I’ve seen this past week, this one of Tian Tian was my favorite!
Comments are closed.