More Free Play

When Was the Last Time You Really Played?

Michael's brother and his family came to visit recently. The kids were bouncing off the walls (as kids do), so they took them outside for a game of soccer. It was the kind of soccer where you mostly just dangle the kids and occassionally let them get the ball. Not exactly Olympic training, but pure joy.

Eventually, the kids drifted off toward the playground, and something strange happened—they kept playing. They even moved on to throwing a football around. They laughed. They made ridiculous throws and even more ridiculous catches.

At one point, Michael asked his brother, “When was the last time you played like this?”
He paused. “I honestly can’t remember.”
And Michael couldn’t either.

That moment stuck with Michael. It reminded us how easy it is to fill every hour with tasks, structure, or something “productive.” But in the process, we forget to create space for one of the most human things we can do: play for the sake of play.

Why “Free Play” Isn’t Just for Kids

Play is one of the most underrated tools in our mental health toolkit. It helps us destress, connect with others, and get out of our heads. And no, it doesn’t need to be scheduled, structured, or shared on Instagram.

Free play could be:

• Drawing just to draw
• Golf without keeping score
• Going on a vacation with no itinerary
• Crafting with grandkids
• Playing catch in the backyard for no reason at all

When we let go of the pressure to “do it right,” we create room for joy, creativity, and connection—three things we all need a little more of these days.

Movember Update: Final Stretch!

This month wasn’t just about Movember's most well-known efforts to bring awareness to Prostate Cancer and the importance to getting checked early. It was also about raising awareness for mental health—and changing the conversation around how we take care of ourselves.

Thank you for all the generous donations, we’re currently at $5,410 of our $6,500 goal, and here's the kicker: IPC will match donations, doubling the impact of anything you give in these final days. If you still want to donate or just track our progress, below is the link

https://movember.com/m/asadooriantwins

“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.”
— George Bernard Shaw