Play

I have discussed the importance of having fun in past blogs and now I would like to look at the benefits of play.  There is a growing body of scientific evidence which demonstrates that humans require play to shape their personalities.  Play is an important aspect of childhood development but the relevance of this activity does not end when you become an adult.  On the contrary, play scientists (yes, there is such a field) reveal that "play deprivation" not only compromises creativity but it is also a shared characteristic of all mass murderers.  Yikes!  That doesn't mean that if you don't play (I love double negatives) you will kill somebody, but if you do (play) you will be more content.

Play is an evolutionary trait that many animals share.  Some, like wolves, discard it after puppy hood because they have learned from it what they need to survive, but other animals such as ravens play throughout their lives and it is believed that they do so because they enjoy it.  Play is a "fundamental survival aspect" of all social animals according to Stuart Brown, MD who is the director of the National Institute for Play which is generating data that supports the belief that adult humans should play and that children must play.

One of the conclusions Dr. Brown reached is that for youngsters it is crucial to engage in play that has a relatively high degree of risk.  Climbing is a perfect example.  Kids love to summit anything they can and if you surround a tall climbable object with a fence they will climb that too.  The risks that children take while playing teach them valuable lessons about trust, physical limitations and group dynamics.

When I was a middle school teacher I was fascinated by the way children behaved outside of the class room with very simple boundaries.  There was always an enterprising group of athletes who would start a pick-up game of football or soccer, there were the boys who ran and slammed into each other for no apparent reason and there were the quiet kids who stood alone reading or playing with a toy, so every one was engaged.   Unfortunately, recess has been truncated to create time for academics and any apparatus a child can injure herself with has been removed from the school setting.  Remember the floor to ceiling climbing rope in your school gym?  Children seemed much more engaged during these brief visits to the recess deck than they did sitting in my Latin I class (perhaps that had more to do with my own lack of interest in the subject matter.)  And there is strong evidence showing that physical activity enhances learning throughout a person's life.   

Play has broad parameters but what sets it apart from other daily activities is that you chose to do it.  Reading is considered play, as is sport and hiking in the woods.  The reason I find this topic compelling is that in this country we have structured our lives around achievement to such an extent that we don't know how to function without a concrete goal.  And because of our puritanical heritage fun is not a worthy endeavor.  Why not?  Brown argues that whatever type of play you engaged in as a child is a good indicator of what your true interests are.  These proclivities are what you should try to nurture so that you can include them in your daily existence i.e. how you make your living. If you discourage a child from playing how will she know what she likes to do?  Brown asserts that if you don't allow yourself to play as an adult you will survive but the quality of your existence will be greatly diminished.  Data reveals that adults who don't play are inflexible and angry.

It is important to continue to assess what you have chosen to do for fun.  People change and if you no longer enjoy your fifty mile bike ride while cars try to run you from the road or the gym experience has become a chore then try something else. 

And if you are uncertain about how to play adopt a puppy.