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I'm a mom to a son and a daughter — one college freshman and one high school freshman — and the days of playing with them at the park playground are far in the rearview. Naturally, my kids no longer find it fun to hang out with their mom and would rather spend time with their friends.
Maybe it’s my fast-approaching 50th birthday, but I feel like I’ve forgotten to have fun. Let’s face it — adulting sucks sometimes, and lately I find myself remembering my own childhood days of recess on the playground with nostalgia. As a kid, I had boundless energy; time stretched on for hours, and swinging on a swing set, playing Red Rover, or getting lost in an imaginary world was pure freedom and bliss.
Missing the carefree enjoyment of my own childhood and the days of playing with my kids at the park, I started wondering how I could incorporate an adult version of recess into my daily life.
I set out to discover how I could have more playground-style fun, make new friends and move my body more — and was surprised to find like-minded communities of recess-goers all across the country seeking fun, camaraderie and movement in various ways.
Regaining Fun and Spontaneity
As children, play comes naturally to us and evolves as we grow up, ideally translating into adult hobbies and recreational activities. My busy schedule has all but pushed my own interests aside, and I was eager to rediscover the sense of whimsy I enjoyed in my childhood.
I began thinking about the types of activities I enjoyed during recess and playtime as a kid. While I can easily go to the playground at my neighborhood park and swing on the swing set, climb on a play structure, and slide down a slide (albeit a little sheepishly, depending on the time of day), there are many activities I remember needing a friend to enjoy. Jumping rope was one of them. It’s an excellent cardio exercise that can be done alone, but there’s nothing like chanting rhymes on the blacktop as a long jump rope circles overhead, counting the jumps before you trip.
The Chicago-based nonprofit 40+ Double Dutch Club has thousands of Black women over age 40 who are jumping rope to promote healthy aging, serve their communities, and empower women. The group encourages women to take a break from adulting and get outside to hula hoop, play hopscotch, and jump rope. 40+ DDC has weekly meetups and subgroups in several states (and a bunch of cute swag) and wants women over 40 to foster friendships and community while improving their mental and physical health.
Making New Friends
Now that my kids are more independent and I have more time on my hands, I’m finding myself unexpectedly lonely. It’s harder than I thought to make friends as an adult. Like many eighties kids, my summers were filled with pool days, water balloon fights, dodgeball, and building forts; a friend to join in was never hard to find.
The Adult Recess Community in Austin, TX, uses Meetup to advertise its events. Their inclusive group meets every Saturday for a fun activity, whether that’s a water balloon battleship showdown, a giant adults-only pool party, or tag in the park. Participants say that the group is welcoming, that they have a lot of fun, and that it's effortless to make friends.
Getting More Movement
One definite difference between my childhood and even life with younger, active children is the decrease in the amount of natural movement I do every day. Working on a laptop all day, I spend more time sitting and typing than I do walking to meet my 10,000 steps goal. But I’m after more movement–not hammering out three miles on the treadmill or trying to lift for progressive overload — I just want to have fun. Enjoyable, fairly effortless movement is something I desperately need to include in my day-to-day.
There are several nonprofits hosting adult recess events to encourage fun, promote movement, and raise money across the country.
The Boys & Girls Club of Indianapolis uses its annual Adult Recess event as a fundraiser. The event features a range of activities, from nostalgic games to a bounce house. In Dallas, Adult Recess DTX is an annual fundraiser featuring gourmet riffs on cafeteria food, a sandbox with luxe prizes hidden within, and games like ring toss and musical chairs.
Other cities are using adult-recess-themed activities to encourage better health in their communities. Kickball and four square are on the docket at the Adult Remix Recess in High Point, NC, which hosts the Adult Remix Recess, along with throwback tunes and food trucks. Raleigh, NC, hosts the Annual Adult Recess Festival, which draws thousands of people from around the country who come to take a break from grown-up life and celebrate joy, nostalgia, freedom and well-being through play.
On this quest for nostalgic fun, more movement and new friendships, I’ve been delighted to discover that I’m not alone and that it is possible to turn back the clock at least a little bit by consciously making the effort to take a break from adulting.
Do you miss recess? What do you miss about it? Let us know in the comments below.
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