Why Adults Need Play More Than Ever

From board games to improv classes, playful activities help improve memory, problem-solving, and mental flexibility. Neuroscientists have long noted that engaging in creative or spontaneous acts activates the brain’s prefrontal cortex, the region responsible for decision-making and emotional regulation. Even Harvard researchers describe these kinds of activities as essential for building adaptive, resilient minds.

Try: Hosting a strategy board game night that brings out everyone’s competitive side, experimenting with a recipe you’ve never dared to try, or creating a moodboard for that business idea you haven’t told anyone about… yet.

Albert Einstein once said that “play is the highest form of research,” and he wasn’t alone in that belief. Writers like Maya Angelou and designers like Alexander McQueen all credited imaginative freedom as central to their creative process. Psychologists agree: unstructured exploration opens up new neural pathways and helps break rigid thinking patterns.

Try: A playful pottery date at House of Raw, creating a signature scent at Oo La Lab or repurposing old clothes with patches, beads, or trims from Satwa’s haberdashery shops.

Whether it’s laughter, movement, or focused creativity, playful moments lower cortisol levels and help regulate the nervous system. According to the American Psychological Association, light-hearted engagement has measurable effects on mood and stress, and it doesn’t take much. Even a few minutes of joyful distraction can make a difference.

Try: A sunset healing session at Sohum, a mindful painting class at The JamJar, or one of ArtKōrero’s intimate creative workshops. Feeling homebound? Blend your own face mask using fruit, veg, and a little imagination from your fridge.

In trauma therapy and inner child work, practitioners often encourage adult clients to revisit activities they once loved or never got to experience. Psychiatrist and trauma specialist Dr. Bessel van der Kolk writes that reclaiming these moments of joy can be a powerful form of emotional repair. What looks like “just fun” is often something much deeper.

Try: Rewatching your favourite 90s movie in pyjamas with popcorn (Practical Magic anyone?), picking out your favourite colour and wearing it head to toe, visiting the hammam at Snob for a full-body reset, or journaling by the sea about the things you’ve outgrown, with no need to fix any of it.

Couples who laugh together, stay together, and the same goes for friendships. Psychologists have found that shared silliness helps strengthen emotional bonds, deepen trust, and create a sense of safety. Whether it’s partners, best friends, or even colleagues, playful connection builds intimacy in ways words sometimes can’t. In fact, play-based therapy is now being used more frequently with adults, especially those working through trauma or emotional suppression, as a pathway to expression and emotional release.

Try: Trying out some dog agility with your furry loved one, challenging friends to an arcade night at Brass Monkey or booking a spontaneous girls’ trip to Motiongate.