“Do anything,” said Walt Whitman in Leaves of Grass, “but let it produce joy.” At Basement Sports, we couldn’t agree more. In fact, “Have Fun” is one of our key Core Principles.

The benefits of infusing one’s life with fun and joy are far too numerous to list in full. To focus on just a few:

1. Fun facilitates bonding and connection. Pursuing leisure and recreational activities with friends and family creates an opportunity to grow closer to one another. Per sociologist Brene Brown, “A sense of social connection is one of our fundamental human needs.” Both connection and the act of play also increase the body’s serotonin production, creating a positive feedback loop that can improve memory, sleep, and relaxation.
2. Fun increases creativity. As one online resource succinctly put it, “Did you ever notice that children learn through play? So, why can’t adults do the same?”
3. Fun is an antiseptic to boredom. This is especially valuable in the workplace. According to studies, only 31.5 percent of U.S. workers say they are engaged by their work. Further, boredom at work is the number one reason most people say they dislike their jobs. Making a place for fun and inspiration in one’s workday would go miles toward changing that dispiriting statistic.
4. And last but by no means least, fun is crucial to children’s development. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, “Play is not frivolous: it enhances brain structure . . . and promotes executive function.” They add that play with parents and peers is a singular opportunity for children “to promote the social-emotional, cognitive, language, and self-regulation skills that build . . . a prosocial brain.”

All of this is to say, (again) that what works for children works for kids of all ages. If we make room for fun and joy in our lives, our lives tend to make room for the things we most want to achieve.

That’s all for today, folks! Now get back to enjoying whatever it was you were doing, and making precious memories with family and friends.