As a mother of a toddler, I am constantly amazed at how much I learn from my child. These are not difficult life lessons, but maybe that is the point. Adults can over complicate life and many important lessons are found in the simplistic acts of childhood. Here are the top five ways I’ve relearned to live like a kid, and the reasons everyone should take a lesson from childhood. I have also found some great ways to “live like a kid in KC” and provide insider tips on ways to bring out the kid in you.

1. Enjoy the arts
Children have an amazing passion for arts – from puppetry to parade bands, from finger paints to play dough. Art includes everything from visual art to performing arts and music. Art is healing. Research has shown that art can be therapeutic. It has benefits for patients experiencing anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, chronic pain, cancer, high blood pressure, bipolar disorder, and other serious health conditions. Furthermore, research has shown the benefits of art on brain function and the significant benefits to Alzheimer’s patients through offering new ways to communicate and connect in a non-verbal manner, express emotions, promote relaxation and improve moods. Enjoying the arts should be a life-long hobby and has a proven track record from young to old.

Live Like a Kid in KC: Learn to decorate a cake or create the perfect dish at the Culinary Center of Kansas City. Engage in a discussion of the unique works of art at the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art and sign-up for an art class of your own. Take in a performance at the New Theatre Restaurant, featuring Broadway-style musicals and comedies.

2. Let it Go
Children do not hold grudges. They may be furious one second and your best friend the next. We may joke about these mode swings, but kids understand the power of forgiveness and know how to let it go. The dictionary defines forgive as granting pardon for an offense; to cease to feel resentment against. Forgiveness allows you to let go of the hurt you felt and allows you to focus on more positive aspects of your life. It doesn’t mean you deny the other person’s responsibility in hurting you, it just allows you to move forward and no longer be gripped by the anger and hurt you felt. Research has shown that forgiveness can lead to healthier relationships, greater spiritual and psychological well-being, less anxiety and stress, lower blood pressure, fewer symptoms of depression and lower the risk of substance abuse.

Live Like a Kid in KC: Visit the National WWI Museum to discover the global implications of hurt . . . and how the world can move forward after destruction.

Live Like a Kid in KC: Unlock the secrets of the world at The Museum at Prairiefire, the only satellite location for the American Museum of Natural History. Exhibits are deeply engaging and entertaining for all ages! World’s Largest Dinosaurs opens in fall 2013. Escape to another world of mystery and intrigue as you delve into a good book from Mysterscape in Downtown Overland Park.

4. Active Play
Children love to play. But play is more than just about having fun. Active play may involve games with rules and can be social or solitary, but the distinguishing features are a playful context, combined with activity that is significantly above resting metabolic rate. Adults have a way of making working out less fun and more work. Active play brings back the fun in excising, which brings a lifetime of healthy benefits. Benefits include building strong hearts, muscles and bones; developing and maintaining motor skills, improved movement, balance, coordination and reaction time; increased mental awareness; improved self-esteem; healthy weight management; and, prevention of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, some forms of cancer and other health conditions. As George Bernard Shaw said, “We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.”

Live Like a Kid in KC: Splish, splash and slide at Schlitterbahn Kansas City Waterpark, open May through September. Skim, spin and swirl along the ice at the Park Place Ice Terrace, open November through February.

5. Simple Pleasures
Kids understand that some of the best things in life don’t come in packages at all, sometimes it is the packaging. Life is filled with simple please, the gifts of life that bring us much happiness. Everything from making a yellow light to finding money you didn’t know you had, from putting on clothes straight from the dryer to making someone smile or laugh. Finding happiness and pleasure in life leads to an increased life span, better immune system, more energy and better mental health. It is now claimed that happiness could be more important than smoking in determining your health. Remember, the Constitution only guarantees the American people the right to pursue happiness, you have to catch it in the moments that come your way.

Live Like a Kid in KC: Take a nature walk at the Overland Park Arboretum & Botanical Gardens. This 300-acre arboretum is a serene and tranquil place to enjoy nature with miles of trails and multiple gardens, including an International Sculpture Garden.

What lessons have you learned from a kid that will last you a lifetime?