Adults need more fun and play

Here is a thought, is Meccano where creativity meets engineering, and child meets adult, or is it the other way around?

August brings @GavinMoffat 's fifty-somethingth birthday and living a nomad work life means no space for new ‘stuff’. Friends did the clever thing of donating to charity on his behalf or inviting him for a home-cooked breakfast with fresh muffins - just out of the oven, or a homemade cake made especially to his liking. Family indulged in QT (quality time) and just BEING together and playing games.

Consumables and experiences are the way to go for someone who doesn’t want/need material things. There is also the gift of rediscovery.

@IngridLotze knows that embracing our inner child is not a retreat from adulthood. It is more like an invitation to rediscover essential qualities that cultivate joy, creativity, and playfulness. Her birthday gift was a Mechano set for Gavin to remember the child within, and to embark on a short journey towards making, building, and fun.

Playing is far from a waste of time for adults. It brings stress relief, different cognitive stimulation, and embracing lightheartedness - something easily forgotten in today’s stressful adult lives.

Getting in touch with one's inner child doesn't have to be limited to playing with toys or games. Adults can reconnect with their carefree, imaginative, and joyful side through any form of creativity, games, dance, puzzles, watching cartoons, reading children’s books, and playing with pets. It’s not childish or silly. Think of it as a way to reconnect to our sense of delight, presence, and wonder.

It helps foster a "beginner's mind", an approach that is helpful in leadership and in career development.

In the place where an adult meets the child within, we find an openness to learn, creative thinking, innovative problem-solving, reduced judgment, curiosity, exploration, humility, and flexibility. These are all traits that enable individuals to build resilience, adapt to change and uncertainty, and operate more effectively.

So next time you don’t know what to buy someone for their birthday - find a Meccano set.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/4a26ee_3793d9bb9a8b4acf8db70113d29e7c34/720p/mp4/file.mp4