Happy Hour, but at the park.
This blog post is about the importance of play. And I have a brilliant beyond brilliant idea that I think should become more mainstream - hear me out: happy hour but instead of going to the bar to blow off some steam after a long week of work, we meet at a playground and just … play… for a little while, individually, or together, and then we go our separate ways. Toodaloo until next time!
I think it can happen … but first, we need to remove the orthodoxy that playgrounds are for children only.
Last week I was in Charlottetown, PEI for work. Veterans Affairs HQ is there and I get to go a few times a year - love it, especially during lobster season! If you google “Charlottetown top tourist attractions”, you’ll get the classics, like Anne of Green Gables and Cavendish Beach, but the real winner is the Jumpstart Playground. Nestled in Victoria Park along a seafront boardwalk, this accessible playground is a giant fun pad for all ages and abilities. Check out the sign language tutorial! The “Let’s play together” in Braille! Ramps connect the whole structure making it wheelchair accessible. A playground like this is super inclusive & low-tech, and invites folks to get outside and treat one another with respect and kindness.
I am not usually a playground person, but let me tell you - I spent a good 40 mins at this playground last week. After a long day at work and a few back to back weeks of travel, this was the therapy I didn’t know I needed.
I learned to spell my name in sign language. I touched everything (and if you know me you know that I am a germaphobe). I swung on the swing. I was super drawn to this giant xylophone - it reminded me of a sound bath, which some research suggests vibrates at a frequency that helps to reduce anxiety and tension in our bodies. It can even diminish pain. I hammered away at this xylophone so loudly that a nearby ‘Park Dad’ approached me. I thought he was going to ask me to stop, but instead, he asked, very sheepishly, if he could play the xylophone too. And, that’s when it hit me, we are all just a bunch of kids running around in grown-up clothes. WE NEED TO PLAY!
Question for you:
When was the last time you hopped on a swing?
I dare - no - I double dog dare you to jump on next time you see one. Go on, give yourself permission, live a little!
