Do adults ever really grow out of childhood interests? We often associate certain activities with children, whether it’s playing video games, collecting action figures, or visiting theme parks. Yet plenty of adults continue to enjoy these things, sometimes with the same enthusiasm they had when they were younger. So why do some childhood interests become perfectly acceptable hobbies for adults, while others are seen as childish or embarrassing?
November 18th is a Mickey Mouse Day, so I thought that it would be a great opportunity to explore this day with C1 learners. This lesson looks at the idea of the Disney adult and invites students to consider why adults sometimes feel judged for enjoying things traditionally associated with childhood. It also explores the role of play in adult life, from reducing stress and building social connections to giving us a chance to escape everyday responsibilities.
The lesson is based on an adapted version of the Los Angeles Times article In defense of Disney adults by Todd Martens. Through four different perspectives, students explore the social expectations surrounding adult fandom and consider whether our attitudes towards childhood interests are always fair. Along the way, they practise comparing speakers’ opinions in a CAE Reading and Use of English Part 6-style task. This helps them develop their vocabulary through eight adjectives ending in -ish, and take part in a debate about growing up without growing out of the things we enjoy.
Keep scrolling for a full-length C1 ESL lesson on childhood interests, adult play and the Disney adult phenomenon, including a worksheet and presentation.
Warmer: What Did You Enjoy as a Child?
This time I decided to begin with something familiar and personal. Instead of jumping into the idea of Disney adults, students firstly look at six pictures representing different activities. These include LEGO, playing video games, or collecting action figures. They tick the activities they enjoyed as children and circle the ones they still enjoy as adults. They then compare the answers and explain why they have continued to enjoy certain activites or why their interests have changed. This is a simple way to get them talking about childhood memories. It also introduces the central question of the lesson – do we really need to leave some interests behind as we grow up?
Pre-Reading Discussion: What Is a Disney Adult?
Next, students look at a picture of a Disney fan (đŸ“·Fabian Centeno). Then read a definition of someone who is extremely enthusiastic about Disney even as an adult. Their task is to work out the term used to describe this person: Disney adult.
This expression can provoke an immediate reaction. Some people use it quite neutrally, while others use it to suggest that an adult’s interests are somehow unusual or immature. Rather than explaining the controversy straight away, leave students to consider the term and its possible connotations before exploring the different opinions in the reading.
Speaking: Would You Agree?
Before reading, students discuss four statements about fandom, childhood interests and play in adulthood. They consider whether society is more accepting of some types of fandom than others, whether adults should feel embarrassed about enjoying things associated with childhood, and whether playing can help adults deal with stress and connect with other people. The final statement looks at the role of entertainment spaces in helping people escape everyday responsibilities and feel safe and relaxed. The statements are deliberately connected to the opinions students will encounter in the article. This gives them an opportunity to develop their own ideas first, which they can then compare with the speakers’ views. It also makes the reading more purposeful: students are not simply looking for information, but examining arguments they have already considered.
Reading for Gist: Is It OK to Be a Disney Adult?
The main reading features four adapted extracts from In defense of Disney adults, each presenting a different perspective on the subject. Fri Forjindam, a theme-park designer, discusses the importance of play and the way theme parks can give adults permission to behave more freely. Mikhael Tara Garver, an immersive entertainment producer, questions why Disney fans are treated differently from fans of music or sport. Psychologist Drea Letamendi explains how play can reduce stress and encourage social connection, while university lecturer and Disney researcher Robyn Muir challenges the assumption that adults should be interested only in serious or prestigious entertainment.
For the first reading task, students read the extracts quickly and match four opinions to the people who express them. The focus is on identifying each speaker’s main point rather than understanding every word. This also helps students become familiar with the different perspectives before moving on to a more demanding comparison task.
Reading for Detail: Comparing Opinions
One of the key aims of this lesson is to practise the kind of close reading and comparison required in the Cambridge C1 Advanced exam. Rather than asking students to answer a series of straightforward comprehension questions, I introduced a guided example first. Students examine a question about how theme parks can help adults connect with other people and identify the speaker whose opinion is similar to that of Fri Forjindam. They work through guiding questions to identify the relevant idea, locate supporting evidence and explain why the two opinions are similar.
Once students have worked through this example, they complete three further questions independently. They compare speakers’ opinions on whether Disney fandom is treated differently from other forms of fandom, whether adults have limited opportunities to play, and whether enjoying playful entertainment makes someone immature. They must identify the correct speaker and support each answer with evidence from the text..
Language Focus: The Meaning of -ish
Students examine a sentence from the article containing the word childish. They discuss what the word means in context, how it differs from the noun child, and what the suffix -ish contributes to the meaning. An important point here is that -ish does not always have a negative connotation. While childish can suggest immaturity, stylish is generally positive, and other words need to be interpreted in context.
Vocabulary in Context: Eight Adjectives to Describe People and Behaviour
After exploring the suffix, students return to the four extracts and replace italicised definitions with the correct adjectives. They use the context to distinguish between words such as snobbish, sheepish and cliquish, which may be less familiar or easy to confuse. This controlled practice gives students a chance to consolidate the vocabulary before using it more freely. They then complete six sentence stems with their own ideas, including I sometimes feel sheepish when…, I think it is selfish to… and A snobbish person might….
Speaking: Growing Up Doesn’t Mean Growing Out of Things You Enjoy
For the main speaking task, students take part in a debate around the statement: Growing up doesn’t mean growing out of things you enjoy. One group prepares arguments in support of the statement, giving examples of childhood interests that adults can continue to enjoy. The other group prepares arguments against it, considering why some childhood interests or activities might be better left behind as we grow up. Students then share their arguments with someone from the opposing group and respond to each other’s points. The aim is not simply to decide whether they agree or disagree, but to justify their opinions, provide examples and engage with an alternative perspective.
Final Discussion: Judging Adults for Having Fun
To finish, students discuss three questions about embarrassment, fandom and childhood interests. They consider why some adults feel uncomfortable admitting that they enjoy things associated with childhood, whether society judges some types of fandom more harshly than others, and what they enjoyed as children that they would still enjoy today. These questions bring the lesson back to the personal experiences students explored at the beginning. By this point, they have considered several perspectives on adult play, analysed arguments from an authentic source, practised a Cambridge-style reading task and developed vocabulary for discussing behaviour and attitudes.
So, this Mickey Mouse Day, why not invite your students to question what it really means to act their age? Download this C1 lesson to explore the Disney adult phenomenon through authentic reading, exam-style practice, vocabulary development, critical thinking and, as always, plenty of speaking.
Do you think adults should ever feel embarrassed about enjoying things traditionally associated with childhood, or is it time we stopped judging people for the things that make them happy?
