Lets go play!

[Meh]

So playing is suppose to be therapeutic and good for the soul.

I personally am having some difficulty tapping into playing, when I ask myself what I want to do to play, I get blankness or a few suggestions from self but nothing new.

I suppose part of it, is that it's not fun to play by oneself..

I'm hoping that I can find something in myself that I haven't seen before, tap into another side of me.

HOW DO YOU PLAY? What does it mean to you?

I don't exactly feel like doing hoola-hoop or going to a strip club...
It has to be inexpensive...No trips to Vegas.. for me right now..

[Meh]

In my neighborhood I often see little girls dressed up as little princesses and funky little fairies. There is some part of me that is envious, I NEVER was allowed to do this when I was a kid. I am way too old to dress up in a pink and purple fairy princess dress, I mean I really don't actually want to do that. I am envious though! It looks like so much fun, I wish I could go back to the age where a little girl is so enthralled with tulle and sequins and satin.

I guess I could go to one of those societies for creative anachronism, how dorky would that be?
Maybe I need to access my inner geek, that thought doesn't resonate with me though.
I could dress up as a sparkly unicorn...oh no.. I don't think so

HELP! How do I be a little girl when I'm a grown up?

[Nonameanymore]

Hi Helen,

I am 39 and don't have kids of my own but when I do find any available (!) - (only joking, have a specific pair that are a friend's daughters) I go nuts! I recently had a stuffed dog made at The Bear Factory named Tiramisu and the girl that stuffed him made me pick a heart before she placed it in, touch some buttons to add 'love', 'laughter', 'kisses' and 'friendship', hell she even made me jump around 3 times when she was finishing sewing him up! In all honesty I like to do things like that. I was in CODA for many years and from what I remember, getting in touch with the inner child and providing things for him/her was compulsory.
Other than that, I dance (at the privacy of my own home!), sing and get really passionate about things in general.

Well, you may feel that you are 'too old' for certain things but creativity - I think this is what you want to tap into I think you're saying - doesn't have any age restrictions. You could dress up like a fairy anytime. Think of older actors who dress up and play roles on tv/cinema etc: if this is not 'play' then what it is?

P.

[Meh]

Welcome to the board Persephone and thank you for sharing.

[binks]

Hi Helen

I tend to make things for fun. Cooking new things or making things for our home, getting creative. I love making up silly songs (best done on your own!)

I have no problem playing on my own, as an only child largely ignored by my mother I got used to it. I do lots of puzzles too.

A friend of mine suggested we play badminton, which we are going to do at adult education classes for beginners. (We start in 3 weeks)

I used to do other adult education classes, pottery and woodwork. They were great for getting creative ideas done, and learning new stuff.

[Meh]

Hi Binks,

Nice to meet you!

[Meh]

I could dress up in as much glow-in-the-dark stuff I can possibly find and go rollerskating at night.
I'm not sure if this would be fun or not. I haven't rollerskated for a hellava long time. Might be painful. Maybe fun.
I guess since I'm going for glowing, I might as well stick some padding in there.

I could dress up as a rollerskating alien.. that might be fun...?

I could dress up as a rollerskating Christmas tree in the middle of summer and throw presents at people....no that won't do...

I'm sort of lazy right now, is there such thing as easy lazy playing that involves lots of goofy laughter..

I mean I go to the zoo and I see cartoons at the movies..but there is something else....I'm gonna figure it out at some point...

[Hopalong]

Dear Helen:

Call up the Boys and Girls Club of America, or go to their web site.

Volunteer there every week. Play.

It'll fill your chest with warmth and change you (in a good way).

love,
Hops

[Meh]

Re: Hi Hops, Thanks for the suggestion, I didn't think of the boys and girls club.

[lighter]

Hops, I love the idea of becoming a Big Sister.

Helen can play dress up with tulle and sparkles.....

make tents and tell ghost stories with a flashlight under her chin and make smoors and have movie night and play Monopoly and tell goofy jokes and face paint.

That would be so much for both Helen and her little sister: )

Mo2

[Meh]

Re: Mo2

That does sound like fun!

[HeartofPilgrimage]

Helen, Have you read Jenny Joseph's famous poem "When I am Old, I Will Wear Purple"? It starts out: When I am an old woman, I shall wear purple, with a red hat that doesn't go and doesn't suit me ..." Your post reminded me of that poem.

Mr. Rogers used to say that play is children's work ... in other words, it's important. IMO, you should give yourself permission to play! That's what creativity is. There are lots of things you can do to satisfy your need for play. I think you should figure out what it is about what those little girls are doing that speaks to you so loudly ... is it the beautiful fabrics? The make-believe stories they are acting out? Their ability to ignore "convention" and try something wild and different? Then you will know which direction you want to go with your unsatisfied urge to create.

[BonesMS]

Just want to share something....

When I was about 40-something, on Halloween, I was commiserating with a same-age friend about how I was NEVER permitted to go Trick-or-Treating as a child because NWomb-Donor's obsession about that was:  "What would the neighbors think about MY children BEGGING?!?!?!?"  Those SAME NEIGHBORS were permitting their children to have Halloween fun!!!!!  What was WRONG with NWomb-Donor?!?!?!?  The friend commented that her parents NEVER allowed her to go Trick-or-Treating because THEY didn't believe in Halloween fun!!!!!  That's when I declared:  WHY should only the kids have fun today?!?!?!?  WE'RE OLD ENOUGH TO MAKE OUR OWN FUN!!!!!  LET'S GET SOME COSTUMES AND GO TRICK-OR-TREATING NOW!!!!!!"

So we dug around the house, threw some home-made costumes together, found some Jack-o-Lantern buckets that her kids weren't using and we went Trick-or-Treating around the neighborhood!!!  The neighbors LOVED it!!!!!      One commented:  "I wish I had your nerve!  You're DEFINITELY having FUN!!!!!"  We told the neighbor that one's never too old to re-visit childhood, just for the FUN of it!!!!!

Bones

[lighter]

How wonderful, BONES!

I love dressing up for Halloween too: )

It is fun.

[sKePTiKal]

Helen - are there swings or playground equipment in your park? Can you go swing?

Can you build a fairy palace using real flowers and shoe boxes?

Can you re-write a nursery rhyme or fairy tale? and illustrate it?

Can you find yourself a princess tiara that fits?? My 53 yr old best friend has one; I'm hoping to be able to get hired as a docent in a park on a tall sailing ship, where I can dress as and play the role of "Pirate Princess"... or wench, depending on my mood that day!