Forgotten Fun

There are so many things we did without a second thought as children.  Then at some point along the process of growing up, we begin to think they are silly and we stop.

Like building a blanket or cardboard box fort, colouring with crayons, finger-painting, running through sprinklers or jumping on the bed.

I'm no psychologist by any means, so I won't go into the reasons we stop doing these things.  

But I will say that I think it odd that we stop.  Why not build a fort?  Why not roll down a grassy hill laughing the whole time?  Why not go get some finger paint and just get messy making art?  Because some other stuffy adult will call us strange or silly or childish?  

So what?  What is so wrong with doing things that used to give us such amazing joy?

I challenge you to go home tonight and build a blanket fort.  

Grab some sheets (they actually work better than blankets), get some of those office clamps (or duct tape - duct tape works for EVERYTHING) and attach the sheets to each other over your furniture.  Gather all the pillows in the house and make a comfy floor.  Attach a camping light inside in the corner somewhere.  

No Trespassing Poster

Now you are ready to get your crayons and a colouring book.  

And remember, you are having fun so if you don't want to colour inside the lines, then by-all-means, scribble the hell out of that thing!  Use all one colour, every colour in the box or outline the whole thing in RED.  

Let your imagination and your inner child run wild!  (yeah, yeah -- we all have one, so just drop the 'tude)

Put ten pigtails in your hair, (gender doesn't matter) hang a sign outside the fort that says "No Trespassing" and start singing "We're going on a bear hunt" as loud as you can!

Why?  Just because.  You don't need a reason why!

My brothers had the most amazing fort in their room when we were kids.  They shared the loft in our cabin and had sheets and blankets attached to the ceiling so you had to go through a maze to get to each of their areas.  It. Was. Epic!

You can also play what I called "Lava" when I was a kid.  I used to play it with my little sister, Jennifer when she was around the age of four.  She loved it!  We had hours of laughter with Lava.

Lava is played by moving all your furniture so you can easily get to it by stepping on it.  Yes.  You are going to walk on your couch.  Just pretend you didn't spend several hundred dollars on it and play Lava.  You won't regret it.  Grab several pillows and put them on the floor between each piece of furniture.

Now any part of floor is called Lava.  Don't step in it, or you "die".  Go ahead and put some music on (or just sing "We're going on a bear hunt" again) and run faster and faster until you step in Lava.  No, there is no winning this game.  You just play until you step in Lava.  Or you are out of breath.  Or you fall down.  Or you laugh too hard to keep running.  And if someone rings the doorbell (like say one of those religious people) make them come in and play Lava with you.  

And because they are likely one of those people who take life too seriously, they will think you are not just having a ball the way children do.  They will think you are crazy.  

So maybe.  Just maybe.  They will never come back again.

You're welcome!

Jess