This question, when it first arose in my head, confused my senses a bit. I wondered what it means. We wake up, get ready, work, come back, sleep and repeat. This is life, right? We often get so involved in this rut that we forget to look at the lighter sides of life which we wouldn’t have missed out on even once as a kid. We have started taking life so seriously as we grow older.

But, we really don’t have to do that. We can make our lives interesting and fun just by going back to our basics — things that we did as kids. Here is a list of easy-peasy little things that’ll bring the magic of childhood back to your boring adult life.

1.

Remember the time when we were kids and our parents would throw themed parties on our birthdays and everyone would come dressed up? Also, do you remember the games we used to play – whether it was Musical Chairs, Memory or Chinese whispers? Our childhood is full of such sparkling memories so why not relive them a bit by organizing the same old party with a twist – play the games we played as kids. Initially people will hesitate and do chu-chu but I can bet you, they’d love every bit of it.

2.

Food is an integral part of our lives. Breakfast, lunch and dinner — day in and day out. Why not have fun with that? Perhaps, research for a new recipe online or even better, master the art of decorating your meals. Forget the rules and lick the damn plate, if you fancy.

3.

Remember being introduced to origami for the first time in class 2? Personally, it was my favourite class but I know a lot of people who really enjoyed creating something. So why not explore a bit of art and craft in your daily life? Do-it-yourself activities are more fun than they sound, to be honest. Nothing can replicate the feeling of holding something that you have made with your own hands. And, they make for amazing stress-busters.

4.

Routine can get the worst out of you, sometimes. It is a great thing but it is even greater to sometimes break preset patterns and try doing things that were never a part of your plan. Take a moment out and do whatever that you feel like just like when you were a kid. Read a book, go travel, go for a walk, watch cartoons — just about anything that you fancy or fancied as a kid.

5.

Remember dancing for hours as a kid on 90s songs like Tu cheez badi hai mast mast,  Mukabla, Ole Ole, and Urvashi’? Well, I do. And it was fun AF with those weird-ass steps. The good part about dancing is that it also helps burn those calories. So, it is a good idea to give a rest to your workout routine and adopt the good ol’ Bollywood dancing instead. Why not?

6.

Remember Ludo, Snakes & Ladders and Business? If they hadn’t existed, I have no idea what I would have done for a major part of my childhood. The beauty of board games is that they were fun before and they are still pretty fun, now. Refreshing, even. So, call your friends over the weekend and play it out loud. Scrabbles for the win, yo!

7.

As kids, we messed up all the time. Sometimes, I look back and wonder how stupid I was but then I forget to realise that my stupidity made me a better person than I am today. The moral of the story is to not shy away from making mistakes. There are a lot of us who don’t do certain things because we fear failure. Do kids think that way? No. That is why they don’t give a shit when they make a mess. Then why do we? Keep trying until you master whatever it is that you want to master.

8.

Remember the colouring books we used to have as kids? We would carefully pick up the right colours and fill within the lines. This technique, turns out, is very popular among adults too. It is known to lessen anxiety and depression amongst a lot of adults. Try them.

9.

OMG! I loved, loved building tents as a kid. And decorating the interiors of it with fairy lights and pretty cushions. Who said adults can’t build tents? Well, no one apparently. So, do it. Invite your friends over, build a tent and watch a movie inside. This experience would definitely take you back to your childhood.

10.

Remember ‘X and Y sitting on a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G’?

I bet you do. So find the nearest park from your place, call a friend, go to the park, find a tree, climb it and spend some time sitting on it. I bet it’ll make you go far down the memory lane.

11.

We often forget about the little things that make us happy like the glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling that we would go to sleep looking at. My advice would be to ditch your glow-in-the-dark phone and go back to the basics. So much more peaceful.

12.

This was probably my most favourite thing as a kid. Imagine coming back from work and then relaxing in your inflatable pool, this time with wine and cheese. Ah! Doesn’t it sound blissful? To me it does. Give it a shot then, no one will judge you.

13.

Remember ringing a random person’s doorbell and running away? And, throwing a fake lizard on your friend? The giggles we got out of it were indeed priceless. I believe that we were so much more fun as kids than we are now. Especially, when it comes to pranks. Spice up your life a little bit and throw a fake lizard at your friend again. 

14.

As a kid, I don’t remember holding a grudge against anyone. I would just accept people as they came in my life. Sure, I had fights but they were forgotten the next day. As I grew older, I saw myself becoming less forgiving. Perhaps, we can try and be a little more like how we were as kids. Perhaps, that’ll make everyone’s life so much better.

Remember, it is completely in your hands how you’ll bring out the child (best) in you.

Creatives by: Utkarsh Tyagi