Entering Contemplative Play
Contemplative play gives us a way to be fully present without the pressure to perform or produce. It slows us down enough to notice what is true, what is beautiful, and what is stirring inside us. In a world that prizes achievement and efficiency, contemplative play helps us recover wonder.
It’s not about following steps or achieving a result. It’s about showing up with openness and letting yourself notice, wonder, and be.
The ideas below are simply starting points, invitations into a slower rhythm. You might use one, combine a few, or let them spark something entirely your own. What matters most is not what you make, but how you attend to the moment.
Below are a few ways to enter contemplative play, alone or in community, with hands, heart, and imagination awake to God’s presence.
Ideas for Contemplative Play
Color slowly with crayons, markers, or watercolor. Don’t worry about staying in the lines.
Shape clay or playdough with your hands; see what forms naturally.
Go outside and collect a few interesting leaves, stones, or sticks. Arrange them in a small pattern.
Sit under a tree or near a window and watch what moves, whether it’s clouds, light, leaves, or shadows.
Take a slow walk, noticing what you see, hear, and feel as you move.
Light a candle and watch the flame for a minute or two.
Trace a spiral or simple shape in sand, salt, or rice with your finger.
Draw or paint what peace, love, or hope might look like to you.
Write a short thank-you note to God or to someone who showed you kindness.
Listen to gentle music and let your hands or body move with it.
Build something out of blocks, rocks, or Legos.
Close your eyes and take five deep breaths, noticing what you feel in your body.
Look closely at something small like a flower, a piece of fabric, or a shell and notice every detail.
Share something you made or noticed with someone else and listen to what they share.
Pour water slowly from one cup to another and listen to the sound it makes.
Lightly trace your hand on paper and fill it with small drawings or words of gratitude.
Look up at the sky for a full minute and notice how it changes.
Tear or cut paper pieces and glue them into a collage without planning the outcome.
Walk a simple path, spiral, or labyrinth, pausing at the center to take a deep breath before returning.
Stack stones or small objects, noticing when the balance feels right.
Blow bubbles and watch them drift and disappear.
Write a single word that feels important today and decorate around it with color or pattern.
Trace a heart shape on paper or in the air and imagine offering your love to God.
Sit quietly with your eyes closed and imagine light filling the room.
Draw or color together with someone, side by side, without talking.
Hold a smooth stone and think of one thing you’d like to release or let go.
Listen for distant sounds, like birds, wind, cars, or voices and notice how far away they are.
Watch a candle go out, following the smoke as it disappears.
End with a deep breath, thanking God for what you’ve noticed.
These may seem like simple or even silly examples, but that’s kind of the point. We spend so much of our lives producing and performing that we forget how to simply be. So take a little time to pause and play. Choose one small practice and see where it leads. Notice how you feel afterward. You might be surprised by the peace or joy that meets you there.