Background: Being playful and having the capability to play are considered fundamental aspects of being human and are closely linked to well-being in adulthood. Despite the health-promoting potential, being playful has, to our knowledge, not been explored in Scandinavian contexts in relation to older persons with functional impairments, such as those living in nursing homes.

Objective: This study, therefore, aims to explore older persons’ lived experiences of being playful in nursing homes, to gain an in-depth understanding of the phenomenon and to contribute knowledge that may support person-centred care and well-being.

Methods: This phenomenological study is grounded in a reflective lifeworld research approach. Lifeworld interviews were conducted with 15 older persons aged 68–100 years.

Results: The essential meaning of the phenomenon emerges as getting in touch with an inner dynamic life force that enables and enhances well-being. This meaning is further illuminated through four constituents: engaging in timeless inner wanderings, adapting to bodily change, opening towards belonging, and navigating in a state of dependency.

Conclusions: In older persons´ playful mode of being, the inner dynamic life force opens up to a profound sense of existential well-being. However, ageing, bodily changes, and institutional constraints shape how playfulness is expressed and manifested in the lifeworld, thereby influencing well-being and human dignity. Taken together, these findings point to the potential value of acknowledging playfulness in future research and care practice as a fundamental aspect of being human and a contributor to both well-being and human dignity.