What is play?

According to Dr. Stuart Brown, founder of the National Play Institute, true play is about fair play and being a good sport.

Play has a purpose

You know you’re in play when you have more fun than purpose. Many adults tend to view play as an activity that serves no purpose. That is simply not true. While play can appear to be purposeless, the converse is often closer to the truth.

You have to sign up for play

You cannot force someone to play. Play happens voluntarily. It has the power to attract our attention and captivate our imagination. According to the latest scientific research, human beings are the most playful species in the animal kingdom. We’re aren’t only inclined to play, we’re built to play!

Time flies by when you have fun

When we play, time seems to fly by. That’s because we become so engrossed in what we’re doing that we feel fully engaged. In an increasingly hectic world, Play is one way of keeping us in the present.

Play frees you from your inhibitions

What’s more, play frees us from feeling self-conscious because it requires our full attention. When we’re in play, there’s no time or spare mental capacity to worry about what we can or can’t do and what others think about us. Play frees us from our inhibitions so that we can let our hair down and fully be ourselves.

Play demands improvisation

Another fundamental characteristic of play is improvisation. Play is the arena where circumstance meets creativity and innovation to create opportunities.

Addicted to play

Last, but not least, play is addictive. Once we’ve experienced the fun of play, we want to keep going. As those who are serious about play will tell you, once you start, it’s hard to stop. Isn’t it time we all got back into play?