Have you ever found yourself in the middle of a game of tag with a group of kids and your heart is pounding, your smiling, laughing and are completely in the moment? That is the beauty of play. It is a mindful exercise, in a way, because when you are involved in it, you aren’t thinking about other things.
So much of life is about responsibility and serious tasks. It seems that when we are done working all week, paying the bills, grocery shopping, doing laundry, cleaning the house, and taking care of the pets, there is little time left for play.
But isn’t play what it’s all about? If any of us suddenly had a week off and an extra $500, wouldn’t we do something playful and fun? Of course we would. So if it is so important to us, why don’t we spend more time doing it?
I’m a workaholic, but I also love to play. I like to say that I work hard and play hard, but that isn’t really true. I have realized lately that I don’t play enough, so I am making an effort to spend more time playing.
Summer seems to bring on my natural desire to play. I swim, hike, camp, daydream outside, play with my garden, paddleboard and the list goes on and on. It is my season, so I am happy, relaxed and find more time to play. The winter is harder for me, so I have to work at it ore.
Here are some of the things I like to do to play in the winter:
*jigsaw puzzles.
*trip to the casino.
*playing with my cat.
*online games or VR.
*game nights with friends.
*crafting – I LOVE painting wine glasses or making terrariums
*read, read, read!
Did you know that there is a museum completely dedicated to the study and practice of play?Visit Rochester, New York where to explore the Strong Museum National Museum of Play. Here you will find 150,000 square feet of interactive exhibits exploring the past, current and future of play.
The Journal of Play has been published since 2008. Here you can find free scholarly articles about the study of play.
According to Scott Eberle at the Journal of Play, volume 6, number 2 © The Strong Contact Scott Eberle at seberle@museumofplay.org
The elements of play include:
Understanding
Poise
Anticipation
Surprise
Pleasure
Strength
According to his article defining play,
“Play can be challenging or soothing, rough or gentle, physical or intellectual, mischievous or well mannered, orderly or disorderly, competitive or coopera- tive, planned or spontaneous, solitary or social, inventive or rule-bound, simple or complex, or strenuous or restful (and so on);” (Eberle, 2014).
Play every day, even if just for an hour. It is important to your mental health and overall wellness. Think about new activities and games you can try. You will thank yourself later.
Eberle, Scott G.. “The Elements of Play: Toward a Philosophy and a Definition of Play.” American Journal of Play 6 (2014): 214-233.