Emma Goldhaber
GameBoy Advances weren’t backlit. They had color, sure, but emitted zero light.
That meant that when I was a kid and wanted to stay up late to play Pokemon or Spyro, I ended up huddled under a blanket with a flashlight between my teeth as I prayed that my mom wouldn’t see the sliver of light from my window coming from the thin blanket.
She almost always did.
But I couldn’t help myself. I loved falling into a videogame or a new book, to the point that my teachers would admonish me as I kept a book underneath my desk, sneaking a paragraph at a time during all of my classes.
There was this longing, this need, this endless curiosity that I couldn’t get rid of. I wanted to know everything about everything. And when I grew tired of this world, I disappeared into a fantasy world, often with adventure, magic, and excitement.
I couldn’t imagine ever getting tired of wanting to explore new ideas and concepts. I couldn’t fathom that wonder slowly disappearing as I got older.
But that wonder, that excitement faded. Responsibilities piled up. Routines took hold. The time and space I once had for play and exploration narrowed. Reading, once a gateway to adventure, became a chore, something to tick off my ever-growing to-do list.
But what if it didn’t have to be that way?
There’s an innate curiosity within us. I often forget, but the desire to rediscover that sense of wonder never really disappears. It’s there; it just gets buried sometimes. But it’s the same feeling we get when a book drags us in and doesn’t let us go or when we lose track of time while doing something purely for the joy of it.
(Or spending hours playing Dungeons and Dragons with friends.)
We just have to figure out how to reignite it.
Play Again
One approach is to give yourself permission to play again. As a kid, play is essential. It’s how you learn, grow, and make sense of the world.
As adults, we might not be able to dedicate hours to games and exploration like we once did, but we can still make time for it. Whether it’s picking up a hobby, doodling in a sketchbook, or getting lost in a video game, allowing yourself to play without a goal in mind is a powerful way to re-engage with that childlike sense of wonder.
Read Fiction (Or Whatever You Want to Read)
Okay, so here’s the thing—only do this if you genuinely want to read. Kids don’t pick up books because they’re trying to “be better” or “improve” or “maximize their productivity to get forty-eight hours of work out of twenty-four hours.”
They read because they want to. They read because the story pulls them in.
Reclaiming that mindset, choosing books that excite you without concern for whether they’re productive or serious can unlock that same joy.
Give yourself the space to simply enjoy a story for what it is, to explore new worlds without feeling the need to analyze every page.
Find the Unfamiliar
One of the most important things you can do while trying to rediscover that childlike wonder is to engage with things that feel unfamiliar.
Try something new. Whether that’s visiting a place you’ve never been or picking up a genre you’ve never explored, move toward whatever you’re drawn toward. The joy of discovery doesn’t have to be something left in the past.
We cultivate it by stepping outside of our usual routines.
Regaining that sense of childlike wonder is about allowing yourself to approach the world with curiosity, playfulness, and an openness to what you don’t know yet.
And maybe, in doing so, you’ll find that the world is still filled with all the magic you remember.
It’s just waiting for you to see it again.