This is a weird thought I had this morning as I stepped into a puddle on my way home from the dentist simply in order to make wet footprints. I’m in my 40s. I shouldn’t get pleasure from this, surely? But thinking about this, I realised that I seem to find pleasure in a whole variety of ‘childish’ activities (and indeed I’ve written about something similar before here). I would like to know whether this is unusual or do we all retain some our six-year-old self all our lives?

Here is my list of Ten Childish Things We Should All Do Now and Then.

  1. Step in a puddle to make footprints. Of course this should go without saying but I thought I’d say it anyway. I urge you, dear reader, to do this. It is quite good fun. Even better: jump in a puddle, as hard as you can.

    Love doing this.

    Hours of fun.

  2. Walk on fresh snow. I still love to do this. There’s something about freshly landed snow that screams ‘put your stamp on me’.
  3. Pretend to be royalty. When I was a child I would often play out a scenario in my head that I was really a princess and I’d been adopted by ordinary people who had jobs and and who worried about money. My brother and my sister, as annoying as they were, weren’t of the same blood as me and at the time I found that most reassuring. My real mum and dad, the Queen and King of an exotic tiny European country, were just waiting to find me. I still enjoy pretending that I am really a lost princess. What’s the harm in it?

    My real mum? Well only in my childhood fantasy

    My real mum? Well only in my childhood fantasy.

  4. Play in the bath. As a child, one of my favourite places to be was in the bath. I was the land, the water was the sea. Or the bubbles were patterns. Or perhaps I was Cleopatra bathing in milk? I might be lost at sea looking for my desert island (I had a vivid imagination). I still sometimes imagine these things in my head when I’m bored in the bath (yet another reason why baths are better than showers).
  5. Run when not particularly late. Walking is boring. I like to run. I sometimes run to school to pick up the children. I run to the shop. I run up the stairs. I run down corridors. Walking is so boring.
  6. Cycle through a puddle with legs up high. Yes, I’m guilty of doing this from time to time. I love it.
  7. Draw on a steamed-up window. I do this a lot. The children get blamed for it. Why is it always assumed that it is the children who draw on steamed-up windows? Why can’t adults do it too?

    Vanilla Graffiti

    Vanilla Graffiti

  8. Pick at wood-chip wallpaper. This isn’t something I get the chance to do very often. I wish I did. I used to love doing this as a child and I am sure that I would find this deeply pleasurable as an adult as well. Sadly, wood-chip paper is hard to find these days.
  9. Blow bubbles into a drink. This is one of my favourites. This was regarded as the height of rudeness as a child so as an adult, the pleasure is deep.

    Blow those bubbles.

    Blow those bubbles.

  10. Burp the alphabet. Go on, give it a try. If number nine was rude, this one was evictable. I could add a few other bodily activities but the list will be too large and there are a few! Should I admit to a desire to bottle my botty burps? Perhaps not.