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Grown-up play: how unleashing your inner child, or finding a new diversion, lowers stress

  • Whether it’s skating, bouncing on a trampoline or flying a plane, playing is vital to our well-being
  • Experts say play is as important as sleep for adults and is linked to increased creativity in solving problems

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Catherine Clarke who makes time to "play", like kids, for her mental health, at Superpark United in Tai Kok Tsui. 11APR19 [FEATURES] SCMP / K. Y. Cheng

When was the last time you played, really played, like a kid? When was the last time you unleashed your inner child and did something fun, like fly a kite, play a board game with friends, ride a playground swing or climb a tree?

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For Catherine Clarke, playtime is a priority. The 37-year-old housewife, who lives in Tung Chung on Hong Kong’s Lantau Island, loves going to SuperPark, an indoor activity park in Tai Kok Tsui that features trampolines, foam pits, tube slides, scooting and skating zones, and even a pedal-car racing track.

Designed for kids and adults, the venue is “good fun”, says Clarke, who enjoys bouncing on the trampolines and playing basketball with her two children.

“My first time on a trampoline was at SuperPark,” says Clarke, who was born in the Philippines.

Catherine Clarke at SuperPark in Tai Kok Tsui. Playtime is like oxygen, author Dr Stuart Brown says. You don’t miss it until its gone. Photo: K.Y. Cheng
Catherine Clarke at SuperPark in Tai Kok Tsui. Playtime is like oxygen, author Dr Stuart Brown says. You don’t miss it until its gone. Photo: K.Y. Cheng
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“Building up that momentum feels so incredible, and when you reach the peak of the bounce you get that weightless feeling, almost like you’re floating or flying. It’s such a euphoric experience. And when I play basketball, I’m instantly transported back to my childhood days, when I used to play the game a lot.

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