Don’t Outgrow Your Bounce: A Reflection on Nostalgia, Play, and Mental Health

“We don’t age out of silliness, or play, or the kind of simple pleasures that make us laugh out loud at ourselves. Somewhere along the way, we just forget how much we need it.”

Growing up in my neighborhood, we didn’t have cul-de-sacs, curbs, sidewalks or cross streets, just one long, stretch of road lined with yards so big they felt like our own personal playgrounds. And in the middle of it all, you’d find me on my bright yellow Hoppity Horse.

Not a regular Hoppity Hop, mine had a molded horse face and sturdy handles, and I was absolutely convinced it made me bounce faster than anyone else on the block. My brother had a red one, and my best friend had a classic Hoppity Hop with a Mickey Mouse head perched on top. We’d line up and race down street, like a bouncing parade.

Those long, lazy summer days with sticky popsicle fingers, endless games of tag, and cloud-watching from the scratchy grass have stayed with me in a way I never expected. They were unhurried. Unscheduled. Full of simple, unfiltered joy.

We don’t age out of silliness, or play, or the kind of simple pleasures that make us laugh out loud at ourselves. Somewhere along the way, we just forget how much we need it.

A Hoppity Horse for the Office

I think about those days often when I’m sitting at my desk in my office, working on notes or meeting with a client. My chair isn’t really a chair, it’s an exercise ball with a soft, modern cover so it doesn’t look like it belongs in a gym. And on more than one occasion, I’ve caught myself gently bouncing as I listen, or swaying as I think through something tender with a client.

Without realizing it, I was bringing that childhood sensation of movement and comfort into my adult world. A Hoppity Hop for grown-ups, if you will.

Why Movement Matters for Mental Health

As a therapist, I now understand what my child-self instinctively knew: our bodies crave movement. Not the punishing, disciplined kind we often chase in adulthood, but simple, rhythmic, playful movement. The kind that soothes our nervous system, makes us feel safe in our own skin, and invites us to be fully present.

In the language of polyvagal theory, these gentle, repetitive motions bouncing, swaying, rocking send signals of safety to our brains and bodies, helping us regulate emotions and settle anxiety. Turns out, those Hoppity races down the block were nervous system medicine in disguise.

The Healing Power of Nostalgia

Beyond movement, there’s something quietly powerful about nostalgia itself. Recalling those Hoppity Horse races, the buzz of cicadas in the humid air, the scent of freshly mown grass, my feet covered in the stickiness of cottonwood seeds in early summer, these aren’t just memories. They’re sensory-rich experiences that ground us, reconnect us to joy, and remind us of a time when being fully present didn’t require effort.

Nostalgia, when rooted in safe, joyful memories, acts like a gentle anchor. It offers our nervous systems a moment of peace in an otherwise hurried world and reminds us of who we’ve always been underneath the titles, responsibilities, and endless to-do lists.

Your Invitation to Play

So if you’re reading this, I want to invite you to pause for a moment and ask yourself:

What was your Hoppity Hop… or Hoppity Horse?

What toy, game, or simple pleasure made you feel free, joyful, and completely yourself? And how might you bring a small version of that sensation back into your grown-up life today?

Whether it’s a literal bounce on an exercise ball, a lazy afternoon on a picnic blanket, a popsicle in the shade, or a silly dance in your kitchen, you deserve play. You always have.

Joy isn’t frivolous. It’s medicine.
And you don’t need permission to play.

You’ve always deserved it.