For Trudie Young of Windham, hula hooping never gets boring.

Young, 58, known as the “Recess Lady,” worked at Fidelity Investments in project management and production services for years before breaking free of the corporate world to pursue a career in –you guessed it – playtime.

“I’ve seen people open up and find more joy, more freedom to express themselves,” said Young, who runs programs in the local area for adults who want to partake in her recess sessions.

Her next recess will be at Nesmith Library in Windham on Friday, April 25 starting at 2 p.m.

Whether it’s coloring, jumping rope or experimenting with Play-Doh and Tinker Toys, Young said all adults can use a little trip back to their youthful days on the playground.

Or for those who were the frequent punching bags for playground bullies, it’s an opportunity to create new, fond memories of playtime. Young said her evolution from work to play started after she dealt with a family member’s addiction about four years ago.

“After that, I was the stressed person,” Young said. The realization came when her friends began asking her what she was doing for fun, and she didn’t have an answer. “When somebody asks me what I’m doing (for fun), I know I’ve lost my balance in life,” she said.

She began logging in what she called a “gratitude journal,” listing five things she was thankful for in each entry. Eventually, she started making stick figures with heart-shaped heads playing and having fun, and realized she wished she was one of them.

One day, she called her friends and asked whether they wanted to go skipping with her in the park. When they all declined, she went anyway, and kept going. After a few times, her friends began to partake.

She also read a book by Stuart Brown of the National Institute For Play, which said creative people find an outlet and part of the creative process in play.

This past winter, Young began bringing her play to the community. She recently completed a series of recess sessions at the Derry Opera House, and also books corporate recess events.

“One of my main goals of recess is to provide a stepping stone for people,” Young said. The sessions provide insight into people’s callings and hobbies, bring adults and their teens together and contribute to productivity, she said. Her family was very supportive of her move to the world of play, and some have attended her recess sessions.

Young said she is looking at starting a daily recess session somewhere, maybe at the Derry Opera House. “It’s such an enhancement to life,” she said.