Ideas Shared:

It’s important to build distinctions around play. Here are a few of the different types of play that are out there:

• Curiosity, safe exploration
• Social play – creates belonging
• Rough and tumble play
• Spectator play
• Ritual play
• Imaginitative (solo) play
• Body
• Object
• Transformational

Questions for you to consider:

• What do you look like when you are at play? At home? With friends? At work?
• What kinds of play lights you up?
• What kinds of play are you engaging in on a regular basis?
• What would it look like if you played more? What might the consequences of more play be in your life?

Here are 3 key insights to remember as you consider the role of play in your life:

• Play is not just for kids, it’s a mandate
• Play is not just something we do, it’s a unique biological process that stewards our growth
• We all know how to play

Resources and Links:

• “The opposite of play is not work; it is depression.” Brian Sutton-Smith
• If this quote piques your interest, you might want to check out Sutton-Smith’s book The Ambiguity of Play.
• Here are the two independent bookstores we checked out (among many other adventures) in Frederick and Baltimore, MD:

            The Ivy Bookshop (Baltimore, MD)

            Curious Iguana (Frederick, MD)

• You hear me talk a lot in this episode about Stuart Brown. I got to hear him speak at a conference a few years ago and he is the real deal. You can check out his TED Talk Play is more than just fun.
• I’m also a huge fan of his book Play: How it Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul.
• Brown also founded the visionary National Institute for Play.