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A Reprieve From Adulthood - Exploring The Inner Child Connection On Be A Kid Again Day

A Reprieve From Adulthood - Exploring The Inner Child Connection On Be A Kid Again Day

14 min read JUN 29, 2026

Quick Answer

As adults, the worries, stresses, and cares of life can commonly erase the ease and simplicity we were accustomed to in our youth. Be A Kid Again Day is aimed at encouraging adults to take a break from the weight of adulthood, providing an opportunity to once again embrace the joys of our youth through intentionally fun and simple activities (1). Here, we’ll discuss the benefits of this type of inner child connection while also providing some ways you can fully embrace this day.

Key Takeaways

Be A Kid Again Day - briefly detailing what this day is and how it began
Play And The Inner Child Connection - discussion of the need for, as well as the mental health benefits of, connecting with your inner child
A Reprieve From Adulthood On Be A Kid Again Day - practical ways to celebrate or connect with your inner child on this day

Do you ever feel like adulthood is swallowing you whole?

Please tell me it’s not just me…
I didn’t think so.
Life is full of wonderful joys, and we certainly experience and enjoy these privileges, but especially as an adult, life is also filled with responsibilities, stresses, and burdens which seemingly compound, often weighing us down more and more with each passing year.

Personally, I believe the compounding of such weight contributes to feeling like…

there’s never enough hours in the day
the days become mundane, with one day blurring into the next
you can never catch up
you’re living life and missing out on it all at the same time

If you’ve felt this way, have you ever found yourself thinking “I miss being a kid.”

Childhood has its ups and downs for sure, but the lack of work/life stress, bills to pay, and burdens to carry can make us long for the days of our youth, especially during those times when adulthood begins to squeeze us tighter than we’d like to be squeezed.

And these feelings aren’t uncommon.

I mean, this is why coloring apps are such a big hit today. And many believe this is a signal of something greater (2, 3), a cry for help if you will, a metaphorically tearful plea for a connection to childhood.

And this is what Be A Kid Again Day is all about!

So, let’s take some time to learn a little bit about this day, exploring the inner child connection and not only looking at how this can benefit mental health, but also discovering some practical ways to embrace this day of fun, whimsy, and stress-free, childlike living!

Be A Kid Again Day

Person wearing aviator goggles sits in a cardboard box with arms outstretched, pretending to fly in a playroom filled with toys, capturing the carefree joy and imagination of childhood.

For all you 80s and 90s kids out there (I’m right here with ya!), what was your favorite Atari game?

For me, it’s a tie between Frogger and Pac-Man - though I must admit, Pac-Man was a tad more fun when playing from an arcade console at Pizza Hut, listening to Poison or Guns N’ Roses on the jukebox while waiting for that Book It! earned personal pan pizza.

Already, just thinking about such childhood nostalgia, there’s a noticeable smile emerging on my face.

Minus the nostalgia, this must’ve been what Atari founder, Nolan Bushnell, had in mind when he founded Be A Kid Again Day back in 1990 (4).

Bushnell believed there was great value in playing at any age, a thought which prompted the now annual celebration of this day on July 8th (5).

While this isn’t a nationally recognized holiday, in recent years its popularity has grown through social media awareness as well as school blogs and programs (5).

And frankly, it’s easy to understand the surging popularity of such a day.
“According to the American Psychological Association’s Stress In America survey, a majority of Americans say their stress levels have increased over the past five years…This is not a small bump - it’s a sustained upward trend” (6).

To add, “Gallup’s Global Emotions Report (2023) found that about 49% of Americans experience significant daily stress…for context, that’s nearly one in every two adults walking through life with a daily undercurrent of tension” (6).

And, while these statistics are alarming, it’s likely you didn’t need the proof of research findings to tell you this, because if you’re like most adults…you feel it.

I mean, perhaps I’m an outlier on this spectrum of stress, but in recent years I’ve found that I don’t even need external pressures to feel stressed, as I often place unneeded weight and worry on my own shoulders.

And, I’m guessing some of you can relate.

If this isn’t a cry for a return to the simplicity of childhood, I don’t know what is!

And, Bushnell’s theory of the need for play at any age just might be the answer nearly half of Americans are seeking.

Play And The Inner Child Connection

Adult embracing their inner child while playing with a wooden toy car on the floor beside a teddy bear, colorful building blocks, and a cozy blanket fort, illustrating the connection between play, creativity, and emotional well-being.

Even when you feel you’re not stressed or encumbered by the weight/cares of life, connecting to your inner child through play could bring more benefits than you think.

So then, what is your inner child? And, how can you facilitate such a connection through play?

Your inner child is “the uninhibited version of yourself before the world’s expectations got ahold of you. The playful, curious, emotional, vulnerable side. The side that saw the world through innocent eyes” (7).

On a deeper level, there is a lot of mental health work that centers around connecting to your inner child as a means of healing, including identifying emotional pain and/or unhealthy patterns (8).

And, while this has undeniable benefits pertaining to mental health, some psychologists “have referred to the inner child as ‘the child within us who we once were,’ [or] the child-like aspects of ourselves” (9).

This is what I believe is at the heart of Be A Kid Again Day.

“Relaxation and playfulness are both essential components of good mental health” (10), components which we all know make up much of the reality of being a child.
Naps, playtime, meals, learning, perhaps a bit of responsibility-in-training, then more naps, playtime, and on and on.

Yes, even mealtimes are often relaxing and fun for kids.

Can you recall the way your favorite meal (even if it was ice cream) made you feel as a child?

You likely didn’t scarf down an ice cream cone while at a desk as a child, nor did you have a list of to-dos or a load of guilt running through your mind as you ate it.

Instead, your biggest concern was likely warding off brain-freeze, then laughing hysterically as you recovered from this inevitability.

Or, when you engaged in play, you weren’t concerned with looking silly, you simply played - whether this included dancing, skipping rope, pretending to be a superhero, building a fort, or simply running around the yard with your pet dog.

Young girl joyfully running across a sunny backyard with a golden retriever beside a blanket fort, outdoor toys, and a chalkboard, capturing the fun, imagination, and active play of childhood.

These activities, and the simple joy they brought as a child, are actually what we define as play.

“Play is an activity that is freely chosen, intrinsically motivated, and often engaged in for pleasure” (11).

I feel like that quote is worth a re-read - “play is an activity that is freely chosen, intrinsically motivated, and often engaged in for pleasure.”

When was the last time you freely chose an activity that you were deeply motivated to engage in, participating solely for pleasure?

Even eating ice cream (and, I get it, eating ice cream isn’t necessarily considered play…but), you can’t deny enjoying an ice cream cone as a child hit in a completely different way than how we view such a simple pleasure as adults.

Could it be that this shift in perspective plays a role in our accumulating stresses as adults?

Play, or enjoying (truly enjoying) the simple pleasures in life as we’ve freely chosen to do so for no other reason than joy, has been shown to support mental, even physical, health in a variety of ways:

“Engaging in playful activities, especially those that involve laughter and physical activity, triggers the release of endorphins, the brain’s natural mood boosters” (11, Martin, 2001).
Some research suggests that engaging in play may lower stress levels and potentially relieve feelings of overwhelm (11, Panksepp, 1998).
Engaging in activities that involve creative expression (you know, those things you used to love to do in art, music, or dance class as a child) could reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety as these provide an outlet for expressing emotions and thoughts which may be otherwise difficult to articulate (12).
When you participate in play or creative activities, this actually stimulates your brain, and you just might find that regularly engaging in such activities improves your ability to problem solve (12).
Play often involves others, and this type of connection could offer a remedy for loneliness, providing you with social interactions that may lead to lasting relationships (11).

As a child, these things are simply part of life.

And, as a child, we don’t realize that these activities are forming and shaping us into intelligent, compassionate, responsible, capable adults (13).

The thing is, when we look back on the activities, foods, people, places, and things we enjoyed throughout our childhood, we don’t see the growth and shaping, instead we’re simply led to reflect upon the happiness we experienced in the midst of them.

And, I don’t know about you, but I could use a little mental health boost, growth, and gaining in adulthood as well.

In other words, we could all use a little play that potentially doubles as a spa, therapy session, and seminar all in one!

So then, as we close things out, let’s give ourselves a few reminders of what being a kid again looks like…

A Reprieve From Adulthood On Be A Kid Again Day

Adult laughing while sitting in a laundry basket with arms outstretched in a cozy living room, beside a blanket fort, teddy bear, popcorn, and art supplies, symbolizing the joy and freedom of reconnecting with your inner child.

There are many things that drive Lifeboost, as a company, but we like to condense those passions and compassions into our core pillars which consist of 4 categories - clean, cause, connection, and kindness.

While these seem like distinctive categories, they actually overlap more than you might think.

For instance, our desire to bring you clean, pure coffee (as well as a variety of other health-supporting products) comes from our commitment to health and wellness.

And, our belief that life is about connection includes more than connecting with others (as we’ve seen the importance of self-connection today).

Then, our belief in and desire for kindness to be spread, something we truly believe can make the world a better place, is also a self-need, each of these combining to emphasize a prioritization of and encouragement towards whole body health.

Coffee indeed boasts many whole body benefits which potentially serve to support a variety of aspects of health, including mental and physical health (14, 15), but we don’t want to simply sip our daily brew(s) in hopes of supporting a healthy body then go about our day mounting stresses, worries, and more.

No, ideally, that daily cup is a supplement to a life well lived, and with a focus on inner child connection for Be A Kid Again Day, I’d like to encourage you to sip your morning brew like a child.

You know what I mean…we’re looking for that “I’m so cool because only grown-ups can have coffee, but I’m sipping this curious cup like a boss right now, and all is right in the world” feeling!

Then, once you’re finished sipping, or while you continue sipping, here’s some practical ways to continue your day, embracing the fun and whimsy of childlike joy once again.

Feel free to grab a few friends to share in these childlike, playful joys, engage alone, or have fun doing any of these with your own children!

1- Watch Your Favorite Cartoon

Think back to your favorite childhood cartoon, then make your favorite childhood snack and sit down to watch an episode (alone or with your kids).

Don’t forget to take note of the smile which forms as you watch and let out a laugh or two!

2- Color/Craft/Create

Colorful arts and crafts workspace featuring a floral coloring book, colored pencils, paint, modeling clay, beaded jewelry, paintbrushes, and a wooden birdhouse, highlighting creative play and hands-on DIY activities.

Yes, there are coloring apps to use today, but I’d recommend truly going back in time here…pick up some crayons, colored pencils, or markers, and a coloring book then make an afternoon of it.

Relax, color, and live in those childhood days of worrying about nothing more than which blue to choose - indigo, violet blue, blue-grey, cyan, teal-blue.

Don’t feel like coloring? Feel free to braid a friendship bracelet, bead a necklace, paint, work with clay, build a birdhouse, etc.

3- Go To The Park (and swing)

Okay, you don’t have to swing, but this is one of my favorites from my childhood, and I honestly can’t remember a single time when I felt stressed or worried while swinging on the playground swings.

Of course, the merry-go-round, slides, monkey bars, etc. are all acceptable activities as well.

4- Build Things

Smiling child building a colorful block house on the floor in front of a cozy blanket fort, surrounded by toy figures, building bricks, and a teddy bear, encouraging creativity, imagination, and hands-on play.

Lincoln logs, legos, any such item for building to your heart’s (and imagination’s) content - grab a set and build.

My son went through a lego phase several years ago, and I have to admit, I looked forward to “helping” him build probably just as much as he did.

Fun, relaxing, and rewarding, playing with legos (or blocks) is a creative return to childhood.

And, don’t limit your building efforts to blocks alone. Who can forget the fun that was easily had when building a fort?

Blankets, couch cushions, you name it…imagine, build, then crawl inside for an afternoon or evening of fun!

5- Indoor Games

Group of four friends laughing and playing board games in a cozy living room, with Connect Four, cards, Jenga, popcorn, and other tabletop games spread across the coffee table, celebrating fun, friendship, and social play.

From board games to cards and video games, there’s so many ways to take a break from adult stresses and channel your inner child through playing games.

If you already enjoy this as an adult, I’d encourage you to reach for a bit of nostalgia in honor of Be A Kid Again Day and seek to play a childhood favorite.

Sure, you may not have access to an atari any longer, but many gaming systems today have versions of the classics.

You could even host a board game night with friends where you break out the good stuff - you know, Twister, Connect 4, Perfection, etc.

6- Outdoor Games

Group of friends playing outdoor games in a sunny backyard, with one person jumping rope while others laugh and cheer, capturing active play, teamwork, and carefree fun.

If you’d like to take your game play session outdoors, round up some friends to play baseball, kickball (a recess classic back in southeastern Indiana circa 1985-1990), basketball, football, or dodgeball.

Or, how about a little capture the flag, hide and seek, or Marco Polo (in the pool) on a hot day.

And don’t forget jumping rope (complete with the rhymes we used to say/sing as we jumped).

7- Sleepovers

Why not have a good old-fashioned sleepover with your friends or coworkers?

Feel free to include a movie night, popcorn or other snacks, game sessions, stories, pranks (fun ones folks, nothing too naughty), and more.

8- Naps

Person peacefully napping on a cozy couch under a soft blanket with a coffee mug nearby, illustrating how a short daytime nap can restore energy and reduce fatigue without relying on caffeine.

Remember those times as a child when you begged to skip your mandated nap?

Now, as an adult, how often have you dreamed of nap time (no pun intended).

Part of childhood simplicity included rest. And, whether we thoroughly enjoyed this downtime or not back then, I can only imagine taking needful downtime now, with nothing more than a pillow and a blanket, could potentially offer much needed relaxation.

The bottom line?

Be A Kid Again Day is “all about doing whatever you find joyful,” and behind the fun of this day is “a gentle reminder that play and rest are good for us at any age” (5).

And, to truly embrace Be A Kid Again Day, be sure to let these practices or activities take root, incorporating them routinely to perhaps take a little bit of the stressful edge off while also allowing yourself to slow down and truly enjoy your life.
…because life’s so short, and you’re so worthy of filling your days with joy!

Medical Disclaimer: This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice, make health or medical claims, or to take the place of such advice or treatment from a personal physician. All readers/viewers of this content are advised to consult their doctors or qualified health professionals regarding specific health questions. Neither Dr. Charles Livingston nor the publisher of this content takes responsibility for possible health consequences of any person or persons reading or following the information in this educational content. All viewers of this content, especially those taking prescription or over-the-counter medications, should consult their physicians before beginning any nutrition, supplement or lifestyle program. Additionally, the way coffee is grown, low acid coffee, decaf coffee, as well as different roast types (light, medium, dark, etc.) can alter caffeine levels. If you have questions about the caffeine levels or pH levels of our coffee, please reach out to our team for clarification. If you have any concerns with how our coffee, or any product will affect you or your health, consult with a health professional directly.

Becky Livingston Vance Content writer

Becky is a mother, educator, and content writer for Lifeboost Coffee. She has had three years’ experience as a writer, and in that time she has enjoyed creatively composing articles and ebooks covering the topics of coffee, health and fitness, education, recipes, and relationships.

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