Adults Need Playgrounds Too
What watching my children reminded me about creativity, adulthood and play
Things I Noticed at a Children’s Art Exhibition Series
Spending the holidays with my kids and taking them to interactive exhibitions and creative spaces has made me notice something that seems obvious, but I don’t think I’ve ever really considered it.
Watching the children was wonderful, but I found myself watching the adults just as much.
It made me realise that, as we grow older, there’s so much we lose, and I don’t think God ever intended us to lose these things.
“Truly I tell you,” he said, “unless you turn and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:3
Seeing the world through my children’s eyes has reminded me how naturally they participate. They don’t stand back and analyse whether they’re doing it right. They simply join in.
And the thing is…I enjoy joining in too.
When we’ve gone to these exhibitions, I’ve had just as much fun as my kids. My husband too. Looking around, I noticed that many of the other parents were the same. Their faces lit up. They weren’t just watching their children; they were building, drawing, playing and exploring alongside them.
Of course, there were also parents standing quietly on the sidelines, and I understand that too. For some people, childhood wasn’t a season of play. Some had to grow up far too quickly, and perhaps they were never really given permission to play.
It made me wonder whether we’ve misunderstood what growing up actually means. Somewhere along the line, we’ve accepted the idea that maturity means leaving play behind. But I don’t think that’s true.
I think maturity is knowing when to play and when not to play, not never playing at all.
As creatives, I don’t think we can afford to lose creative play.
Adults need creative playspaces too.
I’ve taken my children to interactive exhibitions, and more recently to Dopamine Land. I’ll write more about Dopamine Land another time because it made me think about the kind of dopamine we chase through our screens and social media.
But one thing stayed with me.
Watching the adults.
Watching their faces.
Watching them laugh.
Watching them become completely immersed.
It made me wonder:
Why aren’t there more creative playgrounds for adults?
Why do we call it “recreation” when we grow up, as though it’s somehow different from play?
When I look at many offices, workspaces, and buildings, they often feel so dreary.
The same colours. The same desks. Very little room for imagination or creative identity. I have to give Google some credit here. From what I’ve seen of their offices, they seem to understand that environment shapes creativity. Somewhere, we decided that if something isn’t productive, measurable, or profitable, then it isn’t worthwhile.
I think that’s unfortunate.
Adults need play too.
There is a joy that comes from it that isn’t only for children.
Play helps us breathe. It opens up our minds. It creates space for curiosity.
It triggers the release of dopamine and other feel-good chemicals like serotonin; those happy hormones that make us feel more alive.
And I wonder whether some of our creative struggles— writer’s block, creative block—aren’t always because we’ve run out of ideas. Maybe they occur because we’ve forgotten how to play.
We’ve become so focused on making things that are useful, profitable or impressive that we’ve forgotten how to make something simply because it’s enjoyable.
Children don’t create because every drawing will become a masterpiece.
They create because creating is part of being alive. Maybe that’s something adulthood was never supposed to take away.
Adults need playgrounds too.
How are you going to play this week?
About the Artist:
Olá! I’m Jemima, the human behind The Good Eye Shutter. I’m a Christian artist currently living in São Paulo, Brazil, with my family. We moved in 2023 based on God’s instruction, and we have been figuring it out with Him ever since. This city has become one of my greatest teachers. Here, I write about perception, creativity, and faith; learning to steward a good eye so we can become the creative people God designed us to be, while creating work that is both meaningful and commercially valuable. You will also see the odd cameo about life/travel in Brazil, and the behind-the-scenes of the art exhibition I am working on. *wink*
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