What is an inner child?
There is an inner child in all of us.
This is the subconscious part of you that contains all of your earliest memories, thoughts, feelings, hopes and dreams. It is the part of you that remembers how to play.
Your inner child is full of joy and laughter.
It loves unconditionally without any expectations and knows how to have fun. And in a world that can often feel heavy and burdensome, our inner child is a reminder of all the good things in life.
But our inner child is often hidden away, buried underneath our adult persona.
And it is up to us to allow it to break free.
“Each one of us has an inner child, or way of being, getting in touch with your inner child can help foster well-being and bring a lightness to life.”
Dr. Diana Raab
Why tap into your inner child?
When we are kids, our main goal in life is to have as much fun as possible. To be silly with friends, play outside, get muddy and piss our parents off. Our entire purpose is to get into as much mischievous trouble as possible.
But when we reach adulthood, we start to take life way too seriously.
The burden of life’s responsibilities, money, jobs, relationships, social media and the state of the world begin to take their toll, and we stop enjoying life.
We walk around with the weight of the world on our shoulders and forget how to have fun.
Some of us, including me in the past, get to the point where the only way we can unwind and let loose is to get drunk. We become lost and start to disconnect from our true selves. And when this happens, we lose touch with our inner child.
But just because we are adults, doesn’t mean we should lead boring, monotonous lives where we walk around feeling detached from life.
Life can be fun.
Your day-to-day life can be full of creative, playful and messy moments. And reconnecting to your inner child can bring back the joy you’re currently missing.
Being in “child mode” allows you to see past the mundane routines and to-do lists that take over your life and that can sometimes seem restrictive and arduous.
Your inner child reminds you that life is supposed to be enjoyed and not just endured.
How to reconnect with your inner child
We all need a break from everything that’s going on in the world from time to time. And what better way to escape the hustle and grind than by connecting with your inner child?
The inner child within you believes in the possibilities of life and loves nothing more than exploring new ideas and trying out different adventures. So put yourself into inner child mode for a day and engage in fun activities.
You may find yourself becoming more open-minded as well as feeling gratitude towards everything around you.
A few things to consider when tapping into your inner child are:
- Keeping an open mind
- Spending time doing what you truly enjoy
- Nurturing your creativity
- Being playful
- Engaging in laughter
- Being present
- Practising meditation or visualisation
- Journaling – write a letter to your younger self or about special moments from your childhood
101 ways to satisfy your inner child and find joy
From splashing around in a paddling pool to building a cosy inside fort, here is an extensive list of ideas to help you embrace your inner child.
I encourage you to bookmark this page so you can come back to it whenever you need to.
Outdoor activities
- Dig out a pair of wellies and go jump in some puddles
- Climb trees
- Play on the swings in the park or playground
- Head to Go Ape or something similar and act like Tarzan for the afternoon
- Go to a water park and float down all the slides – I did this when I was in Dubai, and honestly, I had the best time ever
- Head to Harry Potter World for the day (or take a trip to Disney Land if you’re feeling kinda bougie)
- Enjoy an evening at the fairground, eat candy floss and go on all the rides
- Rent a bicycle and go on a fun cycle ride through the park
- Go swimming for fun and splash around
- Organise a paintballing day out with friends
- Rent a kayak or canoe and paddle on a lake or river for the afternoon
- Go on a scavenger or treasure hunt
- Head to a roller disco and roller skate like it’s 1980 – dress up for the occasion
- Grab your friends and play a game of Hide and Seek or Forty-Forty It
- Camp with your friends
Music, movement and getting silly
- Rock out to music that you used to listen to as a kid or teen
- Organise an adventurous day out, either doing water sports or rock climbing and abseiling
- Go trampolining or head to the foam pit
- Buy some super-soakers and have a water fight with friends or family
- Head to the arcade and play all the games, including the Dance Dance Revolution machine
- Go to karaoke and sing at the top of your lungs
- Sing along to the Ultimate Disney Soundtrack
- Dance like nobody’s watching, anywhere, anytime
- Try a TikTok dance even if you never post it
- Put on a Disney playlist and belt it out
- Play air guitar to your favourite old school song
- Hula hoop just for the laughs
- Jump rope or try double dutch
- Play musical chairs with friends
- Make up a silly dance routine and perform it
Crafts, games, and getting creative
- Build Lego
- Build a Scalextric circuit
- DIY your own friendship bracelets
- Get crafty with rock paint
- Make a daisy chain
- Try finger painting or messy art
- Colour in a colouring book
- Play a board game from your childhood like Snakes and Ladders, Twister, Hungry Hippos, Connect-4, etc
- Dust off the old Nintendo 64 and play Mario Kart
- Try Play-Doh or clay modelling
- Decorate cupcakes or biscuits with ridiculous amounts of sprinkles
- Start a sticker collection again
- Cut out and collage magazine pictures
- Doodle in your notebook
- Write a silly story or comic strip
Nostalgia and cosy vibes
- Look at old photos to bring back memories of your childhood
- Cuddle your old favourite stuffed toy
- Build a blanket fort and chill in it
- Wear your cosiest pyjamas all afternoon
- Read a book you loved as a kid
- Listen to a childhood audiobook
- Take a nap in the middle of the day – zero guilt
- Watch cartoons or kids’ movies
- Make a pillow fort with your friends or family
- Sleep under the stars or in your backyard
- Host a pyjama party, pillow fights mandatory
- Have a midnight snack party
- Eat cereal for dinner while watching cartoons
- Have a picnic on your living room floor
- Cuddle up with your pet and watch old movies
Food and snacks
- Make your favourite childhood meal or snack
- Buy an ice cream from the ice cream van with extra sprinkles
- Eat pick n’ mix sweets like you’re 10 again
- Bake a cake and decorate it with way too many toppings
- Make s’mores even if you don’t have a campfire
- Try popping popcorn the old-school way
- Eat fairy cakes or your favourite nostalgic treat
- Have a hot chocolate with whipped cream and marshmallows
- Try making a freakshake with all your favourite toppings
- Dip biscuits in tea just for fun
- Bake cookies and eat the dough
- Have a picnic outside or indoors
- Make your own ice lollies with juice and fruit
- Eat jelly and ice cream together
- Share snacks with friends in a park
Social games
- Play charades
- Host a mini-Olympics with silly challenges
- Play frisbee or catch in the park
- Set up an obstacle course at home or outside
- Go bowling – bumpers allowed, no shame
- Play Twister with friends and try not to fall over
- Challenge someone to a silly face contest
- Make up your own family or friend talent show
- Invent a secret handshake with someone
- Take a million silly selfies or photobooth pics
- Create your own secret code or language
- Have a backwards day – breakfast for dinner, PJs all day
- Tell your worst jokes and try not to laugh
- Play “Would You Rather?” with wild questions
- Do a “backwards” race
New adventures
- Get lost in Hamleys or a local toy store
- Explore your neighbourhood on a treasure hunt
- Visit somewhere new in your city, just because
- Take yourself on a solo “field trip” to a museum, zoo or aquarium
- Go to a new park you’ve never visited before
- Try geocaching and find hidden treasure
- Take a spontaneous road trip
- Visit a theme park or fairground – try every ride
- Walk a different route home and see what you find
- Plan a “yes day” where you say yes to every fun invitation or silly idea (within reason)
- Have a sunrise or sunset adventure—find a spot with a view, bring a flask, and just watch the sky change
Save these activities on Pinterest
Final thoughts
Finding joy in your daily life isn’t just a “nice-to-have.” It’s essential. Because without it, life can start to feel heavy, dull, and way too grown-up for its own good.
If it’s been ages since you had a proper belly laugh, felt silly, or just did something because it looked fun, consider this your permission slip to let loose and reconnect with your inner child.
Bookmark this list and come back to it anytime you feel the weight of adulthood pressing down or you catch yourself wondering, “When did life get so serious?”
You’ve got this.
Thalia xx
Liana
thanks for info