Ten Tips for Returning to Childhood

Hey!

It occurred to me the other day how we often fall in love with our childhood passions all over again when we grow up - whether it's that classic TV show you grew up with, a book your parents read to you every night that you still remember by heart, or a toy you simply couldn't part with - our childhood is something we generally love to return to. So here's my ten tips on how to fall in love with your childhood again.

1. You are never too old for Disney. Whether you grew up with it or not, Disney is one of those things that never gets old - even when you do! A couple of weeks ago, I discovered that a friend of mine had been living in the dark for his whole life, never to lay eyes on the wonder of Walt Disney. He has now been introduced to the world of 'The Lion King', 'Mulan', 'Aladdin', 'Beauty and the Beast' and countless other classics. I make it my personal goal to make sure he knows every lyric to at least one song from every Disney movie ever created. Whip out the popcorn and have a Disney marathon - I dare you.

2. Make a 'mixed tape' of your favourite childhood and preteen songs. For most of us it would actually be a CD or playlist, but 'tape' has a certain ring to it, and besides - tapes are a thing of our childhoods, are they not? If you're lazy, just make a mental list. I must admit that my 'mixed tape' or mental list would consist of nothing less than Nikki Webster's 'Strawberry Kisses', at least 4 songs from The Lion King Soundtrack, 'Hot Potato Hot Potato' by the Wiggles, some Colin Buchanan classics and most definitely 'I Love You, You Love Me' from the TV show 'Barney' - who is a large purple dinosaur. Google him, your life will be a happier place.

3. Go up to the roof (or your parents' roof) and pull out a box of your old stuffed toys. Allow me to tell you about my favourite one.

Polly, as she is known, is a rag doll who I was given the day I was born from my wonderful grandma. Polly has neither of her original eyes, none of her original limbs, her plaits have been cut off, the lace on her dress has been replaced, the back of her head has a large patch covering a hole I bit in it, and if I touch her, she will probably fall to bits.

4. Make fairy bread. Do it. Now! If you've never done it, it's not too late! White bread, loads of butter, topped with a million Hundreds and Thousands. If its your birthday, you can substitute butter for Nutella or chocolate spread.

5. Buy a tin of alphabet spaghetti and make your name with the letters. For example, if my name was Jerry I would eat 'J' then 'E' then 'R' and so on. Lots of fun. Great way to waste time.

6. Find a kids cookbook and cook one thing from page 6. I've found that page 6 always has the most random recipes. In my childhood cookbook it's a recipe for hot chocolate. No wonder I can cook...

7. Water colours are not just for children! Make a mess, make a picture. The best paints are in cheap 2 dollar stores - and they usually come with paint brushes. Just add water! Don't forget to hang your masterpiece on the fridge...

8. Make a snail garden. I don't know if you ever did this growing up, but I 'saved' snails on a regular basis, and fed them strawberries from my garden. Truth be told, my dad didn't mind me stealing the snails because they were eating the strawberries in the first place. Little did he know that I was actually the one destroying his fruit and veggie patch. Maybe don't actually take this tip - snails are slimy and disgusting (cute, but disgusting). I just wanted to take you back.

9. Make a collage. This one's actually not a joke.

When I was young, my grandma used to keep every card she was given and cut out the pictures on the front and keep them in a box. When we went to her house, it was my favourite thing to recreate cards, make pictures, and best of all, make collages on large pieces of paper. I actually still have some of them.  My suggestion is to use photos - make a photo wall.

10. Vintage gaming. What was the console of your childhood? For me it was the original Xbox. I spent hours playing 'Fusion Frenzy' and Lego Star Wars. My grandma also owned an Atari and a Nintendo 64, which was fantastic for playing Mario Kart and Donkey Kong. Jump on Ebay and see what you can find! 

I hope you enjoyed the 10 tips for returning to childhood! Let me know what you thought, and what things you do to re-visit your past.

Written for you by TenTipsToday :)