10 Fun Kid Activities for Adult Bodies and Minds
Child's play no more
"Grow up!" "Act your age!" "Stop being such a baby." Such advice might not be so sage after all. Today, adults are buying coloring books, joining drum circles and performing in community theater -- all in the name of health. And it's working. "[Being creative] is good for our health in many ways," says Gay Hanna, executive director of the National Center for Creative Aging. It can boost memory, alleviate depression, reduce stress and more. Here are experts' top picks for childish activities that deserve to make a comeback.
1. Coloring books
When Crayola launched a line of coloring books for adults this month, the trend officially went mainstream. That's a good thing, since research shows coloring can reduce anxiety among young adults -- particularly if the shapes are curved, says Shelley Carson, a Harvard University psychologist. "When we're coloring complex patterns, it seems to almost induce a meditative state," she says.
2. A blank canvas
But coloring books aren't the best choice if you're looking to stimulate creativity, says James C. Kaufman, professor of educational psychology at the University of Connecticut Neag School of Education. "You can get the exact same benefit from a scratch piece of paper and a pencil -- and, in some cases, much more benefit." Carson recommends painting -- cheap poster paint works fine -- which can help people with mild depression or anxiety express their feelings.
3. Jigsaw puzzles
Outside of every intensive care unit Carson has visited, there's a big jigsaw puzzle for distressed families to tackle together. "Working with other people to solve a jigsaw puzzle can ... increase levels of well-being," says Carson, author of "Your Creative Brain: Seven Steps to Maximize Imagination, Productivity, and Innovation in Your Life."
4. Pretending
Kids don't realize that playing dress-up or speaking in silly voices sets the stage for the lifelong skill adults call perspective, says Kaufman's colleague, Ronald Beghetto, an educational psychology professor. Continuing to step into other people's shoes as an adult "allows you to see ideas and problems and situations from a new vantage point," he says. In turn, you might be able to bounce back more easily from bad news, like a an idea being rejected at work. "It doesn't become so painful if one idea doesn't work out for you," Beghetto says.
5. Hopscotch
Every hour on the days Carson works at home, a chime sounds. That means it's time to play hopscotch on the pattern she created on her floor with colored electrical tape. "One of the things that's really important is to stay active throughout the day," she says. True story. The more you sit still, the higher your chance of deadly diseases, such as heart disease, cancer and Type 2 diabetes, research shows.
6. Mixtapes
When Hanna retires, she plans to compile a playlist of her favorite songs throughout her life, including tunes from Motown, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. After all, she knows that listening to music from back in the day can be therapeutic for people with Alzheimer's disease and dementia. "Take time to pull out your favorite songs from the past -- and build your lifetime soundtrack," she advises.
7. Drums
Got a drum, or something that resembles a drum? Give it a beat for a few minutes -- and feel your anxieties melt away. "It definitely improves mood," Carson says, though "probably not the mood of your neighbor." While any type of musical expression can be good for mental health, drums are often used in music therapy because they don't require technical skill, Carson says. "If you have technical skills, playing an instrument has been shown to be a stress reliever."
8. Video games
Adults over age 62 who played video games at least occasionally reported higher levels of well-being than their nongaming peers, a 2013 study found. Other video game-esque activities like brain-training games can improve your working memory, or the ability to hold multiple pieces of information in your mind at once, says Oshin Vartanian, adjunct professor of psychology at the University of Toronto Scarborough. "When a person trains in particular gamelike tasks, you're going to see improvements in the tasks and things that are similar to the tasks," he says.
9. A diary
Back in the day, you anguished over where you would sit at lunch or whether you'd make the school musical. Now, your worries about child care or a mortgage weigh heavier, but one old-school outlet is just as effective: writing about it. Doing so leads to better physical and mental health, research shows. "Writing works because it helps you organize your thoughts, and that frees up your brain to not be bogged down," Kaufman says.
10. Gold stars
Remember those gold stars you earned for good handwriting or playing nicely at school? It's time to dust them off, Carson says. Simply pick a behavior you'd like to change -- say, a sweet tooth or an anger problem -- and give yourself a token each time you pick the fruit over the chocolate or go for a run instead of blowing up at someone. When you've reached an allotted number, treat yourself. "It conditions a reward with the behavior you like," Carson says.
