People talk about old age as a second childhood, and they often mean this in a critical way. But that idea may be something we should cultivate, if we consider the mounting research which shows the importance of play and stimulation for the health of seniors.
A study by a team from Rovaniemi Polytechnic in Finland followed 40 people aged between 65 and 81 over a three-month period while they regularly used swings, see-saws and climbing frames at the Santa Claus Sports Institute in Lapland. By the end of that time there were significant improvements in their balance, speed and co-ordination. Many of the participants also reported that they felt better mentally, and that they were empowered by their success in mastering the apparatus.
Small babies and children naturally seek out stimulation as a part
of learning and exploring the world. People in their teens and twenties
sometimes become dangerous thrill seekers. As we get older we tend to
restrict the amount of input, choose what’s safe, seek out what we know,
minimise stimulation. Those who look after the elderly will often seek
(with the best of intentions) to cocoon their charges, giving them a
regularised day with few surprises.
But research is now showing that we should be challenging
people well into their twilight years, encouraging them to stay active,
to have fun – to play again like children for whom every day is a great
adventure.
