Thumbing through a recent issue of Psychology Today I came across an interesting article entitled “Be a Kid Again and Do It Now.” That immediately caught my attention since I’ve been accused of acting like a kid throughout my adult years.

According to this article mental health professionals have been trying for years to get adults to “get in touch with their inner child” and have discovered that child’s play is the perfect way to do it.

Far from being a sign of immaturity or irresponsibility, the urge to play and have fun is a “vital and healthy one,” says Lenore Terr, M.D., clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of California.

Whether it’s bicycling, doll collecting, working puzzles, or trampoline jumping, putting aside time to play again like you did when you were young allows you to forget the stresses of everyday life, at least for a little while.

I mention trampoline jumping simply to caution you should you attempt it; make sure you are physically fit first. I didn’t, I wasn’t and I ended up with a broken foot at age 55 to prove it.

I have no grandchildren but my sister’s ten suffice nicely and Aunt Kikki has always obliged whenever one of them wants to play. Feeling particularly youthful and in such a good mood one day I agreed at niece Eleese’s request to climb up a tree and jump down onto her trampoline. Bad decision. Forewarned is forearmed, dear hearts. Always think before you jump; preferably a couple of days before.

Always reluctant to learn from my own mistakes, I have continued my childish pursuits but I am now convinced that people who think and act younger stay younger longer, maybe not physically but emotionally and spiritually for sure.

Another article I read recently entitled “Bring Back the Fun” offers some practical ways to be a kid again with only a slight chance of “being shuffled off to the loony bin” by your family and friends:

Go Dancing: Whether you take a class with your spouse or just crank up the radio at home, dancing is a great aerobic activity that can raise your spirits. (My friend Janice and I used to take our kids to school, come back home, lock the doors and shag to old 50’s tunes until time to fix lunch. The key is locking the doors. UPS men talk.)

Play Ball: Even if you’re not particularly athletic you can still enjoy a round of HORSE or just trying to hit a ball with a racquet. (My family gave me a set of golf clubs for Christmas two years ago but not one of them is brave enough to take me golfing. I vow to go solo soon.)

Lock Lips: Okay. Don’t throw up. This really is a great way to connect with your partner. It’s spontaneous, passionate, and definitely fun! (Repeat: your partner.)

Jump Rope: This little activity will bring back fond memories for a lot of you and is a great way to rev up the ole ticker. (Again, for me, bad decision. I got tangled up in the rope and it took the Jaws of Life and four jars of petroleum jelly to set me free.)

Skinny-Dip: Now that’s not suggesting you do this in public, but if you have a pool or a Jacuzzi, or can get away to a secluded lake, there’s nothing like the feel of cool water on your bare skin. (I must admit I’ve never tried this one.)

Roast Marshmallows: Low in fat but high in sugar and sweetness, marshmallows always taste great over an open fire and provide lots of fun, too. (The blacker, the better!)

Tickle Fight: When was the last time you gave your spouse or your children a serious tickling? (You could try it with your friends but expect stares and whispers.)

Capture Lightning Bugs: You’d be surprised. Catching a jar full of twinkling lights is just as much fun now as it was when you were a child. (You might want to pass though, on pinching off their butts and making rings out of them like you used to do. It stinks.)

Belly Laugh: And the bigger the belly the better! It is said that the most wasted of all days is that on which one has not laughed.

I met my old South Georgia friend Faye Jones yesterday in Augusta and we spent the entire day laughing. Oh, we shopped, we ate, we went to the movies, and we even cruised awhile in the car. But laugh, we did plenty of that.

We walked through Macys and like children, we made sure we touched everything we passed and offered ourselves to every clerk in the makeup department for use as guinea pigs. By the time we exited the store every one of them was laughing hysterically. Fun is definitely contagious.

Next stop was the movies. Proudly declaring ourselves Senior Citizens and thus receiving our discount, we ordered a bucket a piece of buttered popcorn and the largest drinks we could carry and we laughed so much during the movie we were both spewing diet coke out our noses! It’s a wonder we weren’t asked to leave. Of course it helped that there were only four other people in the theatre. (Don’t you just love the new multiplexes?)

“Productive distraction from worries about spreading waistlines and mounting bills, true play offers some very adult advantages,” says Jasmine Fox of Psychology Today. “People who preserve their sense of fun are better equipped to solve problems, think creatively, and manage stress.”

Lord knows we need to do more of that then. Maybe some skinny-dipping in the old Jacuzzi is just the ticket after all. Besides, my bathing suit’s got a hole in the knee.