Top 15 'Inner-Child-Inviting' Habits to start at home for Reclaiming Your Sense of Wonder - Goh Ling Yong
Remember that feeling as a child when a simple cardboard box wasn't just a box? It was a rocket ship, a castle, a secret fort. The world felt vast, vibrant, and brimming with possibility. Every corner of the backyard held a potential discovery, and a rainy afternoon was an invitation for creative chaos indoors. As we navigate the complexities of adulthood—careers, bills, and never-ending to-do lists—that innate sense of wonder can feel like a distant memory, packed away with our old toys.
We trade spontaneous play for scheduled productivity, and curiosity for certainty. But what if reclaiming that joy wasn't about escaping our responsibilities, but enriching them? What if we could infuse our daily lives with the same magic we felt as kids? Here at Goh Ling Yong's blog, we believe that connecting with our inner child is a powerful form of self-care and a direct path to a more creative, resilient, and joyful life. It’s not about being childish; it’s about becoming more fully, vibrantly ourselves.
The good news is, you don’t need a time machine or a summer vacation to do it. You can start right now, within the familiar walls of your own home. We've compiled 15 simple, 'inner-child-inviting' habits you can start today to dust off that sense of wonder and let your playful spirit shine.
1. Build an Epic Pillow and Blanket Fort
Build a Fort
Before designated playrooms and perfectly organized spaces, there was the humble fort. It was a kingdom built from sofa cushions, dining chairs, and every blanket you could find. Building a fort as an adult is a powerful act of reclaiming your space for pure, unstructured fun. It’s about creating a cozy, personal sanctuary where the only entry requirement is a willingness to crawl.
This simple act disconnects you from the usual function of your living room. It's no longer just a place to watch TV or pay bills; it's a secret hideout. Inside your fort, the world outside melts away, leaving you in a soft, dimly lit haven perfect for rediscovering quiet joy.
- Try This: Gather all your coziest blankets, pillows, and cushions. Drape them over chairs or the sofa to create a snug hideaway. String some fairy lights inside for a magical glow, grab a beloved book or a tablet with your favorite movie, and bring in a thermos of hot cocoa.
2. Finger Paint with Abandon
Finger Painting (No Brushes Allowed)
Remember the sheer joy of squishing cool, vibrant paint between your fingers? Finger painting is a wonderfully messy, sensory experience that short-circuits your adult brain's need for perfection. There's no pressure to create a masterpiece; the goal is the process itself. It’s about feeling the texture of the paint and watching colors swirl together under your hands.
This activity is a direct rebellion against the neat, orderly lines we're often forced to color within as adults. It encourages you to let go of control, embrace imperfection, and find beauty in the chaos. It’s a tactile meditation that can be incredibly grounding and stress-relieving.
- Try This: Lay down some old newspaper or a plastic sheet on the floor. Get a large piece of paper (or a few) and some non-toxic, washable paint. Put on an old t-shirt, and just dive in. Don’t think, just feel.
3. Host a 'Just Because' Dance Party for One
Host a 'Just Because' Dance Party
When was the last time you danced like absolutely no one was watching? Not at a wedding or a club, but right in the middle of your living room on a Tuesday afternoon. A solo dance party is a pure, unadulterated expression of joy. It connects you to your body and to the music in a way that feels liberating and completely authentic.
Create a playlist of songs that make you feel alive—the pop hits from your teenage years, the movie anthems you know by heart, or anything with a beat that makes you want to move. This isn't about technique; it's about shaking off stress, celebrating the moment, and letting your body express the happiness your inner child feels.
- Try This: Curate a "Guilty Pleasures" playlist. Turn the volume up, close the curtains if you feel shy, and just let loose for three or four songs straight. A hairbrush microphone is optional but highly encouraged.
4. Doodle Without a Destination
Engage in 'Doodling without a Destination'
We often associate drawing with skill and purpose, which can be intimidating. Doodling, however, is different. It’s the visual equivalent of humming—a free-form, mindless activity where your pen simply wanders across the page. There is no goal, no right or wrong, just the simple pleasure of making marks.
This habit is fantastic for quieting a busy mind. It allows your subconscious to play, resulting in fascinating patterns, shapes, and squiggles. It’s a low-stakes creative outlet that reminds you that not everything you do needs to have a productive outcome. Sometimes, the point is simply to play.
- Try This: Keep a dedicated notebook and some colorful pens on your coffee table. The next time you're on a phone call or watching a show, let your hand wander. Try filling a whole page with tiny circles, repeating a simple pattern, or just drawing one long, looping line.
5. Have an Indoor Floor Picnic
Have a 'Floor Picnic'
Breaking a routine is a surefire way to see the world differently. Simply moving a meal from the table to a blanket on the floor can completely change the experience. It feels less formal, more relaxed, and inherently more playful. It disrupts the mundane and transforms a regular lunch or dinner into a special event.
An indoor picnic feels like a mini-adventure. It encourages you to slow down and be more present with your food and your surroundings. You'll notice your home from a different angle, both literally and figuratively, fostering a sense of novelty and fun.
- Try This: Lay out a blanket in your living room. Prepare simple, easy-to-eat foods like sandwiches cut into fun shapes, a fruit salad, cheese and crackers, or even a pizza. The best part? Minimal cleanup!
6. Read a Children's Book Out Loud
Read a Children's Book Out Loud
There is a profound magic in the stories we loved as children. They are filled with wonder, simple truths, and boundless imagination. Re-reading a favorite book from your childhood is like visiting an old friend, but reading it out loud adds a whole new layer to the experience.
Hearing the rhythm of the words, giving voices to the characters, and feeling the story unfold through your own speech is incredibly immersive. It engages different parts of your brain and connects you to the story's emotional core in a way that silent reading doesn't. You’re not just a reader; you’re a storyteller.
- Try This: Pick up a classic like Where the Wild Things Are, The Little Prince, or a rhyming Dr. Seuss book. Find a comfy spot and read it aloud, even if it's just to yourself or your pet. Don’t be afraid to do the voices!
7. Play with Dough or Clay
Play with Dough or Clay
The tactile sensation of squishing, rolling, and shaping clay or dough is immensely satisfying and grounding. Much like finger painting, this is a process-oriented activity. There's no need to be a sculptor; the joy is in the simple, repetitive motions that help soothe anxiety and focus the mind.
Working with your hands is a fundamental human experience that we often lose in our digital world. Playing with clay reconnects you to that physical creativity. You can create something, squish it flat, and start all over again—a perfect metaphor for creative resilience without consequence.
- Try This: You can buy a small block of modeling clay or air-dry clay online or from a craft store. Alternatively, make your own simple salt dough at home with flour, salt, and water.
8. Conduct a Silly Science Experiment
Conduct a Silly Science Experiment
The world is full of magic if you know where to look, and simple science is one of the best ways to find it. Remember the awe of making a baking soda and vinegar volcano erupt? That "wow" moment is pure, unadulterated curiosity in action. Recreating these simple experiments taps into that desire to understand how things work.
It’s not about relearning chemistry; it's about delighting in cause and effect. These experiments are playful, a little bit messy, and a fantastic reminder that you can create a moment of wonder with just a few common household ingredients.
- Try This: The classic volcano is a great start. Or, try making "oobleck" (a non-Newtonian fluid) with cornstarch and water. A quick search for "kitchen science experiments" will give you dozens of safe and easy ideas.
9. Stargaze from Your Window
Stargaze from Your Window or Backyard
As kids, we had no trouble lying in the grass and staring up at the clouds or the stars, letting our imaginations run wild. As adults, we rarely take the time to simply look up. Dedicating a few minutes to stargazing is a profound way to reconnect with a sense of awe and perspective.
Looking at the vast, star-dusted sky can make our daily worries feel wonderfully small. It’s a meditative practice that costs nothing and requires no special equipment. It’s just you and the universe, sharing a quiet moment of wonder.
- Try This: Turn off all the lights in one room of your house to reduce light pollution. Sit or lie down by the window and just look up at the night sky. Don't worry about identifying constellations unless you want to; simply observe the light and the darkness.
10. Create a 'Wonder Jar'
Create a 'Wonder' Jar
Our adult brains are wired to notice problems and threats. A 'Wonder Jar' helps retrain your brain to actively look for moments of joy, beauty, and curiosity. The concept is simple: get an empty jar and, each day, write down one small thing that sparked a sense of wonder.
It could be the way the sunlight hit the dust motes in the air, the surprisingly delicious taste of a new tea, or a funny line you heard in a movie. By actively searching for these moments, you'll start to notice them everywhere. It’s a powerful gratitude practice with a playful twist.
- Try This: Find any empty jar and decorate it! Keep a small notepad and a pen next to it. At the end of each day, take 30 seconds to jot down your moment of wonder on a slip of paper and add it to the jar. Reading them at the end of the month is a beautiful experience.
11. Have Breakfast for Dinner
Have Breakfast for Dinner
There's something delightfully rebellious about breaking the unspoken rules of mealtime. Having pancakes, waffles, or a big bowl of your favorite childhood cereal for dinner is a simple way to shake up your routine and inject a dose of fun into an ordinary evening.
It's a low-effort, high-reward treat that feels special precisely because it's out of the ordinary. It taps into that childhood glee of getting to do something you "weren't supposed to." This simple act of defiance against culinary norms is a toast to playfulness.
- Try This: Go all out. Make pancakes from scratch (or a mix, no judgment!) and top them with whipped cream, chocolate chips, or sprinkles. Put on some Saturday morning cartoons for the full nostalgic effect.
12. Build Without Instructions
Build with LEGOs or Building Blocks
LEGO kits with their step-by-step instructions are great, but the real magic happens when you dump all the bricks on the floor and build from your imagination. Free-building with LEGOs or any other type of block is an exercise in creative problem-solving and pure, unguided creation.
What will you make? A lopsided spaceship? A colorful house for a minifigure? A completely abstract sculpture? It doesn't matter. The goal is to let your hands lead your mind, fitting pieces together and seeing what emerges. It’s a perfect, low-pressure way to engage your creative brain.
- Try This: If you don't have LEGOs, any building material will do. Jenga blocks, magnetic tiles, or even a deck of cards can be used to build structures. The key is to have no plan and just start building.
13. Watch Your Favorite Childhood Cartoon
Watch Your Favorite Childhood Cartoon
Cartoons from our youth are powerful time capsules. They can transport us back to a simpler time, evoking feelings of comfort, safety, and carefree fun. Watching an old episode of Tom and Jerry, Scooby-Doo, or whatever show you loved is a comforting and easy way to reconnect with your younger self.
You might be surprised by what you notice now as an adult—the jokes that went over your head, the charmingly simple animation, or the timeless quality of the stories. It's a nostalgic hug in a 22-minute package.
- Try This: Pair your cartoon viewing with your favorite childhood snack, whether it was a bowl of sugary cereal, a handful of animal crackers, or a glass of chocolate milk.
14. Go on an 'Indoor Safari'
Go on an 'Indoor Safari'
We think we know our homes inside and out, but we almost always experience them from the same height and perspective. An 'indoor safari' is an exercise in mindfulness and curiosity, challenging you to see your familiar space with fresh eyes.
Get down on your hands and knees and explore your home from the perspective of a pet or a toddler. Notice the textures of the carpet, the world under the coffee table, the way light creates long shadows from the leg of a chair. This shift in perspective can make the most mundane environment feel new and exciting.
- Try This: Use your phone to take pictures of the interesting things you "discover" on your safari—the intricate pattern of a wood grain, a dust bunny that looks like a cloud, or a forgotten toy under the sofa.
15. Sing Loudly and Off-Key
Sing Loudly and Off-Key
As children, we sing without inhibition. As adults, we become self-conscious about our voices, afraid of judgment even when we're alone. Singing loudly and with gusto—especially if you're not a "good" singer—is an incredibly freeing act of self-expression.
It doesn’t matter if you’re off-key. The physical act of singing has been shown to release endorphins and reduce stress. It's a primal, joyful noise. In the shower, in the car, or while cooking dinner, put on a song you love and belt it out. It's a celebration of being alive, and your inner child will be singing right along with you. As Goh Ling Yong often reminds us, authentic expression is a cornerstone of a well-lived life.
- Try This: Find a song with a big, epic chorus. Think Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" or Whitney Houston's "I Wanna Dance with Somebody." Don't just sing it; perform it for your imaginary audience of adoring fans.
Reclaiming your sense of wonder isn't another task to add to your to-do list. It's an invitation. It’s about intentionally carving out small moments for play, curiosity, and non-productive joy. These habits aren't about regressing to childhood but about integrating the best parts of it—imagination, presence, and fun—into your capable, adult life.
By making space for your inner child, you're not only reducing stress and boosting creativity, but you're also nurturing a deeper, more authentic connection with yourself. You're remembering the person you were before the world told you who you should be.
So, which of these habits are you excited to try first? Did we miss one of your favorite ways to connect with your inner child? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below! We would love to hear how you are bringing a little more wonder into your world.
About the Author
Goh Ling Yong is a content creator and digital strategist sharing insights across various topics. Connect and follow for more content:
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