“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing” George Bernard Shaw
Play is essential for children's development. In fact ‘play time’ is when children learn the most. But play is not just for kids. Often as facilitators we invite co-workers to play during a workshop! It is an opportunity to see problems from a different angle, to improve communication skills and quality of relationships, while safely revealing a little bit of ourselves.
What does play mean to you?
When was the last time you played?
What activity was it and with whom?
In today’s world play could be a solitary activity. We might be tempted to play on our own and all too easily on the screen. It’s an immersive activity, continuous with no stopping cue and we are moved from one stage to the next, then reset, replay. But the truly nourishing and expansive part of play is when it involves others. There are many other ways to cultivate “the Art of Play” that we might not have experienced for a while or that we have simply forgotten.
We can play on words,
roleplay,
play safe,
play an instrument,
play a trick,
play cards.
Play can be with a child, a relative, a pet, a stranger, outdoors, indoors, loud or calm with specific material or just our imagination.
And as we experience playing, we forget to check our phones.
*** My dare to you this Weekend ️***
Dare to Play!
Leave all technology behind for a set time and play with others
(a family member, a friend, a co-worker, a pet …).
Forget playing dead, playing the races or the stockmarket and perhaps not quite get all the way to playing havoc or playing with fire either … but you can play the fool!
Here are some suggestions:
Crack a joke with a stranger on the train
Join your children at the playground
Take a dog out for a walk and watch them fetch the ball
Dig out a pack of cards
Grab a pen and paper to play “hang-man” or “nought and crosses”
Pull faces
Do a mime
Blow bubbles
Solve a puzzle
Create a charade
Organise a quiz
Make up new lyrics to a catchy song ....
How could you integrate more play in your life?
Just play it by ear and experiment …
Let me know how you got on with this #dare, do share your personal tips in the comment section.
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Image credit: Photo by KAMPUS Production from Pexels
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