We recently read a blog by the wonderful India Knight about “proper grown-ups” and why it is actually a good thing to be a childish grown-up. It made us laugh out loud, nod in recognition, and feel oddly relieved.
She wittily explained that being emotionally competent and quietly childish is not a contradiction. In fact, it might even be essential.
It also made us think about being children ourselves. Ian watching fish in the river. Jackie playing for hours on the beach. And it made us realise how rarely adult life gives us permission to return to that state, unless we deliberately make space for it.
Inevitably we thought about the Long Barn.
Because if ever there were a place that encourages you to loosen your grip on adulthood just a little, it is here. Not in a reckless way. Not in a throw-your-responsibilities-away way. But in a softer, more restorative sense. A place where you can remember how to play, how to rest, and how to enjoy simple pleasures without needing to justify them. Especially when you are sharing that time with people you know well.
So here are ten ways we think staying here will unleash your inner child, while still letting you remain a fully functioning grown-up.
And rest assured, we are and will be practising many of these ourselves.
1. Rediscover Play Without Explanation
At home, play often comes with an apology. Here, it simply happens. A walk becomes a wander, and a stick becomes worth carrying for no reason. You might collect fir cones or get excited about spotting sheep. No matter how often we spot a hare, roe deer or barn owl we still get excited.
You do things together without asking what the point is, remembering that once upon a time, play was the point.
2. Bedtimes Become Suggestions, Not Rules
There is something quietly thrilling about staying up later than usual.
One more chapter. One more glass. One more log on the fire. Ian has always been an “owl” so when we are away with friends is always one of the last to bed. Evenings stretch naturally, conversations drift, and games become more competitive than planned. That teenage feeling of being awake when you are “not supposed to” returns, just with better duvets and fewer consequences the next morning.
3. Wake up Without a Plan
Ditch the alarms and the lists. You wake when you wake and make coffee when you are ready. Because the day unfolds slowly, you can choose to walk or stay on the sofa. Both choices are perfectly fine, and nobody feels the need to organise everyone else.
We love a weekend (especially at this time of year) where a slow cup of tea in bed starts the day at a snail’s pace.
4. The Outdoors is Your Playground
Fields, paths, sky and weather are right on your doorstep. And no need to get in the car.
You do not need to “do” the countryside properly here. You simply step outside and see what happens. Sometimes that means a long walk with a pub at the end. Sometimes it is five minutes before heading back inside because it is cold. Either option feels completely reasonable.
We love a walk whatever the weather – even a bracing walk in the rain is worth the effort. Especially when you’re warming up in a local pub with a real fire and a small libation.
5. Eat without Keeping Score
Breakfast often stretches into brunch, and lunch happens whenever you fancy. You might walk for chips and a pint. Or find a local café for cake or ice cream or both. Since no one is judging, you could even eat pudding first. It feels spontaneous and reminds you of your childhood holidays.
Our not so guilty pleasure is an ice cream from the hole in the wall shop in Hutton Le Hole. Two scoops. Salted Caramel and Blackcurrant/clotted cream; a match made in heaven.
We’ve also been introduced to “Yorkshire Tapas” by friends. Buy a random selection of bar snacks from crisps to nuts to anything else. Open them all up, mix them up and dive in. All the better if a scampi bite or pork scratching makes the final cut. Please don’t judge us.
6. Embrace the Silence
At home, silence can feel awkward, but here it settles beautifully. You can sit, look out of the window, and notice the world. It is the most companionable kind of quiet.
Until we moved to Appleton, we didn’t have time to just sit and take it all in. The woods near us are the best place to sit on a tree trunk just for a few minutes. It’s amazing what you suddenly notice and what you hear.
7. Go Analogue
You do not need to reach for your phone immediately. Instead, lose yourself in a jigsaw, a game of Scrabble, or a spontaneous table tennis match. Time passes unnoticed as friendly rivalries emerge.
We are backgammon addicts, and love a game. It’s our holiday game of choice, but 2026 is when we intend playing it more often.
Ian is on the Moors Inn Domino Team and loves nothing more than a game of 5’s and 3’s. Just don’t ask how the team are doing this season….
8. Laugh More and at Less
You will find yourself laughing at small, absurd things. These proper, unexpected belly laughs build and spread. This is the best kind of joy, especially when shared with friends and family.
And if you want a belly laugh now, there is always Ian catching sheep.
9. Stop Performing Adulthood
No one expects anything of you here.
You do not need to be productive or impressive. You can sprawl in comfortable clothes all day, lounge in robes, or take naps. You can abandon neatness entirely because nothing bad happens.
In fact, everyone else seems to be doing exactly the same.
10. Leave feeling lighter
This is the real measure of a stay. You do not go home having escaped adulthood. Instead, you go home better equipped for it. You feel rested, reset, and quietly joyful.
As if the childish parts of you have been given space to breathe, and the grown-up parts are quietly grateful for it.
Why not give it a try?
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