In Chinese Medicine and our own culture alike, summer is the time of get-togethers, outdoor fun, and play. It’s the perfect time of year to embrace your child-like nature by trying something new, and maybe even a little potentially embarrassing! Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Try paddleboarding on the lake. Are you like me and you have an inflatable stand-up paddle (SUP) board that hasn’t made it out of your garage? Or have you always wanted to try one of the SUP yoga classes that are held on the lake? Yes, you might fall in the lake, but you also might not, and you’ll never know unless you try. I promise if I see you out there, I’ll be cheering for you and I won’t laugh if you fall in.
- Sign up for a pottery class. You may get messy, but there’s something magical about making your own mug, pot, or vase, and you’ll get no judgment from the instructors if it looks like something an elementary school kid made. Practice makes perfect, and for some, it even turns into a career!
- Throw a paint party where everyone has to do a self-portrait or paint a picture of someone in the room or a celebrity. This has been a fun trend on social media where people have a bridal shower or date night and paint someone in the room, then take a video and post it to social media where everyone usually has a laugh because some may be good but others may not even resemble the person. It’s a fun way to laugh at ourselves or if you’re a good artist, it makes for a fun gift!
- Play a new game. One of our recent family favorites that is fun for the beach or backyard is Throw Throw Burrito Extreme Outdoor Edition. It includes two huge inflatable burritos that you have to throw at each other based on the card game. If your family isn’t into pommeling each other with massive inflatable food, you could try your hand at a water balloon fight, capture the flag, kickball, hula hooping, or other games from your childhood. Alternatively, you can visit a local arcade, laser tag, mini golf, bowling alley, escape room, water park, or amusement park and act like a kid again for the day.
- Camp in your backyard (or a local park). Have you always wanted to try outdoor camping but you’re not sure if you’re more of a “glamper” than a “camper?” Start in the backyard! Set up a tent in your yard, and plan activities for camping. If you have a firepit or fire table on your patio, then it can be a place to make s’mores. If you have a grill, you can make your meal there. You can even set up an outdoor movie night if you have a projector and a flat wall or sheet. If you have always wanted to go to an actual campsite, then do your research and see if friends may want to join, and then go for it! Many local parks offer campsite reservations that typically also come with access to bathroom facilities nearby and grills.
- Have beach fun. If you’re able to get some beach time in this summer, instead of just lounging, throw in a sand castle building contest with your kids or friends, get your lower half buried under a pile of sand to turn into a mermaid, try your hand at boogie boarding or surfing, or see who can find the prettiest shells, rocks, or sticks. Bring a paddleboard game, volleyball, or other game and relive a bit of those summer vacations from your youth (or make new memories!). Dig up sand crabs and feel their legs tickle your hand. Try to get as close to the water as you can and then run away when the waves come in. Get in the water and jump over every wave.
Play is nourishing to the soul. As we get older, our lives get busy with all of the things we have to do for work or to take care of our families. We tend to take less time to play. Even though we’ve grown up, we still need to find ways to add play to our everyday lives. That’s a large part of why the children’s television show Bluey is so insanely popular. For those who don’t have small children or have never seen the show, it revolves around a family of four personified dog characters, and typically involves the kids and parents engaged in elaborate games where hijinks, hilarity, and inside jokes to parents ensue. Besides being funny and cute, the show reminds parents about the importance of play. We may not be able to drop what we’re doing on a dime like it seems Bandit or Chilli do to play insanely detailed games with their two kids on Bluey, but we do all need to find our own version of playtime on a regular basis.
How might you be able to find your own silliness, and nourish your inner child? What is fun for you? What is fun for your family? How can you take time out every week (if not every day) for fun? Make fun a priority, and share your ideas with your friends so you can all join in!
Note: This article was originally published in a local magazine for their June 2024 issue. For citation references, please contact Dr. Yocum at https://jenyocum.com/contact/
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