Can you come out and play?

 I was asked the other day if playing is a good idea for a hobby. I said yes, playing can be a happy hobby and a happy habit! Engaging in play can provide a number of benefits, such as reducing stress, increasing creativity and imagination, improving social skills, and promoting overall well-being. Play can take many forms, including physical play, creative play, and social play.

It's important to make time for play in our daily lives, whether it's through games, sports, art, or other activities that bring us joy and allow us to unwind. Incorporating play into our routines can help us maintain a positive outlook and a healthy balance in our lives.

There is no specific recommended amount of time that seniors should allocate for play each week, as it can vary depending on individual preferences and schedules. However, it is generally recommended that seniors engage in some form of leisure activity or hobby on a regular basis to promote relaxation, reduce stress, and improve overall well-being.

Experts suggest that adults aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity per week, in addition to muscle-strengthening activities at least two days a week. This can include activities that are considered "play" such as team sports, dancing, hiking, or any other physical activity that brings joy and allows for social interaction.

In addition to physical activity, seniors may also benefit from engaging in creative hobbies, such as painting, writing, or playing music, to promote relaxation and boost mood. The key is to find activities that are enjoyable and bring a sense of fulfillment, and to make time for them regularly in your schedule  However, convincing seniors that play is important may require a bit of persuasion and education. Here are some strategies that may be helpful:

Seniors may not be aware of the many benefits that play can provide, including reducing stress, improving cognitive function, and promoting overall well-being. Share research and personal stories that illustrate how play can enhance their lives.

Many seniors may be more likely to engage in play if it involves socializing with friends or family members. Encourage them to join a local sports team, take up a hobby with a group, or participate in activities at a community center

Seniors who have not engaged in play for a long time may be hesitant to jump in with both feet. Encourage them to start small, perhaps by trying a new game or activity with a friend or family member, and gradually building up to more regular participation.

Seniors may be more likely to take up play if they see others their age enjoying it. Set an example by engaging in play yourself and sharing your experiences with them.

Some seniors may have concerns about safety or physical limitations that may prevent them from engaging in certain activities. Address these concerns and work with them to find activities that are safe and accessible.

Ultimately, the goal is to help seniors see that play is an important part of maintaining a happy and healthy lifestyle and to provide them with the support and encouragement they need to engage in it.

Self isolation with children? Some ideas

Some thoughts on getting through this self-isolation for harried parents as well as grandparents
1. Play silly charades, says Penny Warner, author of Kids’ Party Games & Activities (Meadowbrook, 1993). Fill out cards with offbeat suggestions, such as Santa Claus on a tropical vacation or a monkey trick-or-treating. Take turns writing or drawing a card and acting out the phrase.

2. Put on a play. Kids can make up their own dramas or reenact favourite movies and TV shows. Use old cast-off clothes to make costumes.

3. Hold a talent show. Film it and send it to family members. All the kids can show off their skills, whether it’s doing a cartwheel, telling a joke, or singing a song. This also can be an opportunity to get to know your grandchildren better

4. Turn your names into a game. Warner suggests drawing a grid of five boxes down and five across; put the first five letters of the child’s name across in the top five boxes and one category down the five side boxes. Set a timer and have the kids write down an object in each category that starts with the letter at the top of the column. For example, if the child’s name is Rebecca, and the category is “Animals,” she could write "Rhino" and then "Elephant." The winner is the person with the most boxes filled when the time expires.

5. Make papier-mache figures. Dip paper strips in a mix of white glue and water (or make your own paste from flour and water) and layer them to cover a balloon. "Any balloon with newspaper, flour and water can become a pig, butterfly, or family bust!" says San Francisco educator Lonna Corder

6. Make soap sculptures. Mix powdered Ivory laundry soap and water until it takes on a clay-like consistency. Mold it into fun shapes. The best part: Any spills clean up easily. 

7. Make gross goo and slippery slime. Warner’s slime recipe is simple: one cup of cornstarch mixed with one cup of water. To make goo, mix one cup cold water and eight ounces of white glue in one bowl. Also, mix one tablespoon liquid starch and one-half cup hot water in another bowl. Add a few drops of your favourite food colouring to the starch and combine the two mixtures. The fun thing about goo and slime is that they are messy! Save yourself from a big cleanup and play outside.

8. Turn your kitchen into a sculpture studio. Make your own clay: Mix four cups flour, one cup salt, and one-and-one-half cups water. Mold figures and bake them in a 250-degree oven for two to three hours until firm. Even easier, use a can of ready-to-bake rolls from the fridge, says Lisa Kothari, a party planner and author of Dear Peppers and Pollywogs ... What Parents Want To Know About Planning Their Kids' Parties (Peppers and Pollywogs, 2007).

9. Have a scavenger hunt. Sue Johnson, coauthor of Grandloving: Making Memories With Your Grandchildren (Heartstrings, 2007), suggests looking around the house for objects in different categories, such as something squishy or something green. Or hide wrapped candies for a treasure hunt, says Kothari.

10. Have a spa day at home with your granddaughters. Kothari says bring out all your nail polishes and give one another manicures and pedicures.

11. Cook happy-face pancakes together. Have the kids use blueberries or raisins for eyes, melon for mouths, and bananas for hats, says Johnson.

12. Let the kids make outrageous cookie creations. Start with plain cookie dough and help the little ones mix in condiments and decorations found in your cupboards, says Kothari. Some of the cookies may not taste great, but that is all part of the fun. You may discover a future chef in your family.

13. Make a time capsule. Use any old plastic container with a lid. Put in a copy of the day’s front page and notes or drawings from the kids. Bury it and dig it up together for their next birthday or school graduation.

14. Introduce your grandchildren to old-school games. Find a piece of chalk and teach them to hopscotch or use cocktail stirrers and show them how to play pickup sticks.

15. Entertain younger kids by blowing bubbles yourself. Mix one cup of water, two tablespoons of glycerin, and 4 tablespoons of dishwashing liquid for hours of playtime fun. Use a drinking straw as a blower, or twist a paper clip into a loop or even loop some florist wire into a hoop.

16. Make memory movies, says Johnson. Let the kids use a video camera to interview you and other members of the older generation about your lives. Turn the camera around and let them tell you stories about their often funny lives.

17. Create a superhero. Use paper, pencils, crayons, and markers to help kids make their own comic books.

18. Have make-your-own storytime. Start a story and pass it on to one of the grandchildren to continue. That grandchild passes it on to someone else and so on. You never know where the stories will go.

19. Decorate pickle and mason jars. Make designs out of scraps of coloured tissue paper to decorate the jars. The transparency of the tissue paper makes a nice effect. Paint on your creations with white glue to finish off this crafty keepsake

Do you play?

As I watch the grandkids in the garden, running through the sprinkler I am delighted by their sense of fun and adventure. I got to thinking as adults how often do we experience that same joy and stress? In times of play which can bring us great stress and/or great joy, we are completely surrounded by loved ones wanting to share whatever we are experiencing. If you have a pet, you probably will admit to playing with your pet. You can play on your own or with a pet, but for greater benefits, play should involve at least one other person. Play helps:

Relieve stress. Play is fun and can trigger the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals. Endorphins promote an overall sense of well-being and can even temporarily relieve pain.

Improve brain function. Playing chess, completing puzzles, or pursuing other fun activities that challenge the brain can help prevent memory problems and improve brain function. The social interaction of playing with family and friends can also help ward off stress and depression.

Stimulate the mind and boost creativity. Young children often learn best when they are playing—a principle that applies to adults, as well. You’ll learn a new task better when it’s fun and you’re in a relaxed and playful mood. Play can also stimulate your imagination, helping you adapt and solve problems.

Improve relationships and your connection to others. Sharing laughter and fun can foster empathy, compassion, trust, and intimacy with others. Play doesn’t have to include a specific activity; it can also be a state of mind. Developing a playful nature can help you loosen up in stressful situations, break the ice with strangers, make new friends, and form new business relationships.

Keep you feeling young and energetic. In the words of George Bernard Shaw, “We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” Play can boost your energy and vitality and even improve your resistance to disease, helping you function at your best.

Play and relationships

Play is one of the most effective tools for keeping relationships fresh and exciting. Playing together brings joy, vitality, and resilience to relationships. Play can also heal resentments, disagreements, and hurts. Through regular play, we learn to trust one another and feel safe. By making a conscious effort to incorporate more humour and play into your daily interactions, you can improve the quality of your love relationships—as well as your connections with co-workers, family members, and friends.

Play can heal emotional wounds. As adults, when you play together, you are engaging in exactly the same patterns of behaviour that positively shape the brains of children. These same playful behaviours that predict emotional health in children can also lead to positive changes in adults. If an emotionally-insecure individual plays with a secure partner, for example, it can help replace negative beliefs and behaviours with positive assumptions and actions.

So, when you are playing if you can remember to be calm and quiet and go within, you'll feel them, you'll remember them, and you'll benefit most from their presence. 

Music and dancing is life

My grandson was given a guitar (actually a  ukulele) and he loves to play it and he loves the old songs, so I know Rock and Roll will never die. Long live music