I recently went to my (beautiful and amazing) nieces 4th Birthday Party. It was a perfect reminder/proof point for me of two things:

• We as adults can learn SO much from kids
• Play is transformative and amazing!

It was ‘Frozen’ themed and was chock full of surprises (good job mom and dad:)) They made their own cupcakes, played with Play-doh and sang and danced with ‘Elsa’ 🙂

Here are my main takeaways/learnings:

1) Curiosity and Wonder – two main ingredients that every kid has and that we lose as adults. As ‘Elsa’ sang and told her stories, the kids had sooo many questions (I’m sure Elsa had to contain herself from unleashing her freezing powers at some points). But they also had wide eyed wonder the ENTIRE time. Anything was possible and they were committed and flexible enough to find out what that could be. No limits on the possibilities

As adults….we slowly lose this sentiment. Why is that? Why do we limit ourselves just because we are ‘older’?

2) Joy – all the kids had SO.MUCH.JOY. for everything. For the cupcakes, for story time, for singing, for dancing, for pizza, for bubbles, for hugging. All of it. Everything was joyful and they took pleasure in sharing it together. Best part of it all was that it was INFECTIOUS. Not only for all the kids but for all the adults that were watching and eventually even participating 🙂

As adults we sometimes forget to savor the moment. We could learn a thing or two from these munchkins.

3) Engagement – these kids were IN IT. In the zone 1000%. Dancing, playdoh or pin the nose on Olaf? Without hesitation they gave it all their attention and effort. Remember they are kids! The ones that normally lose attention with each shiny object but not this time. Not while playing and DEFINTELY not with ‘Elsa’ in attendance 🙂

As adults why do we always feel the need to be doing 10000 times at once? Why can’t we sit in retaurants across from the people we came with, without pulling out our phones every 5 minutes?

4) Long Hair/Don’t Care – these kids did not give ONE OUNCE of a care of what others thought. Not one speckle of hesitation in their eyes or on the flipside – 0 judgement given to others. They danced like lil nutbags, they pretended to be frogs, they sang and embraced and created whatever felt RIGHT to them.

As adults why are we always caught up in what other people think of us? WHy do we subconciously let that stop us from being who we TRULY are and what we TRULY want to do?

I tell you besides from the obvious fact of my beautiful niece turning four, I am so glad I went to confirm that: Kids are GENIUS and should be our ROLE MODELS.

By the way, the pic of the cupcakes are ones my gf and I made (not of the kids😀 ). Top left is mine. I was inspired by my ‘inner child’. Isn’t it epically amazing?

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LETS PLAY!

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