During childhood, we engage in countless activities, some more recreational than others. We break jump rope records, enjoy coloring within the lines, read comic books, and alleviate boredom by transforming the garage entrance into a roller rink. These pastimes, sometimes calm, sometimes daring, rarely last. Yet, we should rediscover these sandbox activities and dedicate a slot to them in our busy schedules.
Fighting cognitive decline while having fun
We all had a favorite pastime during our early years. The most dexterous sculpted modeling clay like Giacometti with plaster or poured their imaginations onto blank sheets of paper, while the self-confessed hyperactive performed acrobatic tricks in the skatepark or improvised a rollerblading obstacle course around outdoor toys. Children with a competitive spirit even pursued these hobbies at a high level, winning medals and parental admiration.
But here's the thing: all good things come to an end, and as we reach adulthood, priorities change, and so do our desires. Instead of continuing with jump rope, skateboarding, and magic coloring books, we discover new distractions, more "in tune" with our age, like having drinks on a patio, complaining about the world, or doing Pilates under infrared lights. We give up these hobbies at the same time we close our toy box and leave the home where we grew up.
Yet, flying a kite, making rollerblades squeal on the pavement without fear of dying with every fall, singing without waiting for the excuse of a karaoke night, or filling sketchbooks shouldn't be fleeting pastimes reserved for children under ten. Especially not the leisure activities of expressive minds like drawing, sculpting, writing—anything that originates in the mind and finds expression on some medium. Science says so. According to a study published in the journal Nature Communications, creative hobbies slow down brain aging . This also echoes the concept of "neuroplasticity": the brain 's ability to change and create new connections based on experiences, learning, and the environment.
A great sense of personal satisfaction
Instead of chasing trendy Instagram activities like pickleball or hyrox, we'd be better off nurturing our childhood passions, the ones that sometimes made us forget the rest of the world or even dinnertime. We mistakenly believe these activities are better in our memories than in reality, and we fear disappointment, like that time we tried those famous Mammoth balls again. But first, reconnecting with childhood hobbies allows us a little lightness in a daily life punctuated by tedious tasks and overwhelming responsibilities. Second, while it takes a little practice to regain our former skills, and our joints might struggle a bit to keep up, the joy we experience remains intact.
When you manage to slalom around cones on rollerblades or write a poem with at least some coherent rhymes, you feel an immense sense of self-gratification. Resuming a childhood activity is a micro-achievement, a small symbolic victory, a tribute to the child you once were. It's also about braving feelings of failure or abandonment and rediscovering that spark that Pilates reformer and other "grown-up" games can't recreate. And these activities, like Proust's madeleine, are undeniably comforting as well as a source of personal growth.
Psychologists call this implicit memory. "The advantage of implicit memory is that it allows the mind to be, to some extent, free. We can perform tasks learned implicitly without thinking about them, which allows us to do other things. In this sense, accessing implicit memory can be very relaxing," explains Thomas C. Südhof, MD, director of the Südhof Laboratory in Stanford's Department of Physiology, to Vogue US .
A way to rediscover your inner child
Revisiting childhood hobbies also means reopening a door that adulthood sometimes closed a little too quickly. It's the door to carefree days, spontaneity, and doing things "for the sheer joy of it," without any performance goals or concerns about profitability. In short, a place where you have nothing to prove.
In a daily life often dictated by obligations, deadlines, and productivity, these activities act as a mental respite. Drawing without the intention of exhibiting, running without a time goal, tinkering without striving for perfection: these are all simple gestures that reconnect us to a form of inner freedom.
Psychologists are particularly interested in this effect of "positive regression," where the brain rediscovers lighter, more secure emotional states. It's not about shirking responsibilities, but about reactivating neural pathways associated with play, curiosity, and immediate gratification. And this is often where the breakthrough lies: by revisiting past activities, we rediscover not just a pastime, but a more spontaneous version of ourselves—one that hadn't yet internalized the fear of making mistakes or the judgment of others.
Ultimately, these recreational moments become much more than just leisure. They act as a mental breath of fresh air, a gentle way to slow down, release tension… and remember that pleasure, too, deserves a place on our calendar. There's no need to wait until you have a child to rediscover these fundamental pastimes.
