Suzanne's Mom's Blog

Photo: Antonio Olmos/Guardian.
To escape the stresses of “adulting,” many grownups are rekindling their love for childhood toys, games, and hobbies. Above, Lego fans at the Old London Road cafe in London.

We know that laughter is considered good for health. Long-time readers may remember this post from 2016 about a “laugh doctor” I once interviewed. Similarly, people are discovering what playing like a kid can do for them.

Nicola Slawson and Guardian readers put together the examples below.

“A growing number of adult enthusiasts are rediscovering their love for Lego, helping to fuel a surge in sales that has increased the Danish toymaker’s revenues by 21%.

“But Lego isn’t the only childhood pastime people are returning to. … For some, returning to an old pastime offers an escape from the pressures of adult life, while for others it is a chance to reconnect with a younger version of themselves.

“Jimmy Young [a UK business director] has rediscovered tree climbing. ‘As a child, I was outside climbing trees more than I watched TV. I was relatively feral as a kid; my parents didn’t know where I was other than in the woods somewhere and most likely up a tree. I never really stopped but life got busy and adulting took over for a long while. Then I had my daughter and I realized I could get back into it via her. …

“I love the connection to nature and the disconnection from adult responsibilities. I love scaring myself and pushing myself out of my comfort zone.” …

“[Rachel Richman, community artist, Newcastle upon Tyne says] ‘My aunt taught me all her embroidery silks as a child. I was obsessed with hand sewn miniatures and my parents’ friends bought them off me. … When my auntie died, I got her collection of African materials. My daughter-in-law and I learned how to quilt and we made a dozen memory cushions embroidered with messages and political quotes. … I now happily embroider anything on anything.’

“[Sarah, video game tester in Tokyo, writes] ‘After being very strong in art in secondary school and attempting to pursue various creative careers and encountering many setbacks, I set art aside. I’m now rediscovering fine art as a hobby with no expectations and it feels as if I’ve slotted in a puzzle piece into my identity that was missing for a long time. … The constant bad news on social media can easily bring you down. I think adults, especially young adults and teens, are desperate for a comforting escape.’

“[Sydney Bauer, PhD candidate in art history, Apex, North Carolina returned to riding.] ‘I rode horses as a kid but stopped after I had a big fall. I always meant to start riding again but growing up in New Jersey, it was particularly expensive. When my now husband and I moved to central New York during Covid, I realized I could try riding again. I took my first lesson and was hooked. Within a month I was leasing a horse, six weeks later I owned my own horse and I even started going to shows and placing, which is something I always wanted to do as a kid. … We’re inundated with information and mostly negative news all the time. It’s natural to want to go back to hobbies or activities that remind us of when we felt safer.’

“[Pete Harper, small business owner, East Lothian, Scotland notes] ‘In my teens in the late 90s I took up radio-controlled car racing with my dad. I’ve always loved motorsport. We raced at a purpose-built track in Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire. I enjoyed the racing and it was good getting out with my dad. We gave it up after he started working overseas again and sold all the gear. Twenty-five years later, still a motorsports fan, a post randomly appeared on my timeline about a new club opening on the other side of Edinburgh. I went along to a couple of meetings and used the spare club car for a few races. Turns out I never lost the knack for the driving, so I bought my own car.’ …

“[Bec, teacher, Gold Coast, Australia, says] “I’m one of the many adults that have rediscovered Lego. As a child, I had always loved Lego. I rediscovered Lego slowly, first learning about adult enthusiasts through the TV show Lego Masters, then I had a child and suddenly had access and an excuse to play again. … It might just be a social media thing but I can’t help but feel like the fun has been sucked out of everything I used to like. … Building feels like a kind of detox. It’s a bit of a way to get back to me – the me before socials, I guess.’ ”

More at the Guardian, here. Fun pictures.

Notice how many of the kinds of play are tied to a person’s childhood. I liked writing as child — little poems, stories, and plays. I wonder if blogging is tied to that. It’s fun anyway.

How do you play? Are you thinking of trying something new?