Old Dog? New Tricks: Prioritizing Play

The drive to play freely is a basic, biological drive. Lack of free play may not kill the physical body, as would lack of air, food, or water, but it kills the spirit and stunts mental growth."
-Peter Gray, American Psychologist


Play?
I was breathing hard, feet wide, muscles poised to run in any direction, my heart pounding. A bead of sweat trickled down my chest. All of a sudden I felt weird. What was going on? I noticed I was smiling, and then it hit me. I was, ahem, having FUN! My dad and I were on the racquetball court, and I was having a blast: unaware of time, totally focused on the ball and getting my butt across the court in time to return it. My dad won most every point, but that didn’t matter. What mattered was losing myself in the game and that smile on my face. Welcome to the amazing world of play.

Play is unstructured time, where one is lost in the flow - and play can mean a different thing for each person. National Institute for Play - What Is Play?
For some people it is dancing, for others, telling jokes, doing a puzzle, or cooking a new recipe. It is about creativity, innovation, and having fun. 
Here are just a few ideas for play:

• Throw a living-room picnic in January, play beach tunes
• Paint - on canvas, a wall, or a pair of sneakers
• Engage with your dog, cat or cockateel
• Read a book
• Have a snowball fight

Check out more: 70 Play Ideas for More Fun as an Adult

What’s It Got to Do With Me?
Animals play when young in order to develop skills they’ll need as adults - survival skills like hunting and defense. But humans benefit from play throughout their lives. So keep on playin’!! Take a look at some of the great stuff we get from play:

• Keeps you feeling good - mentally and physically
• Improves relationships (partner, friends, co-workers)
• Decreases stress
• Improves brain function
• Stimulates creativity
• Enhances problem-solving capabilities

More: Help Guide - Benefits of Play

Vital for our Brains
Think you (or kids) could skip play? Play researcher Stuart Brown found that the gunman in the 1966 Texas Tower shooting had been severely play deprived, as had other young men imprisoned for murder.
Read more: National Institute for Play: Our History 
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