Overview
Play Times is published monthly and includes three sections in each issue: (1) a “Play Note” summarizing current scientific knowledge about a specific aspect of play; (2) a profile of a play scientist or expert; and (3) news items with links to the latest issues of four play journals.
Play Note: The Importance of Play for Adults
Play is not just for kids! This month’s Play Note presents research showing that play has enormous benefits for adults. Play not only helps you relax, it sharpens your thinking, facilitates creative problem solving, and enhances family and friend relationships. Play contributes to your well being and makes you more resilient in dealing with stressful situations! The Play Note concludes with three recommendations to overcome barriers to play and to integrate play into your life routine.
Profile: Marian C. Diamond
This month’s Play Times profile features Marian Diamond MD (1926-2017) a neuroscientist at the University of California, Berkeley. Diamond was the first scientist to demonstrate that the brain changes with experience and grows with enrichment (play) — what is now called “neuroplasticity”. Studying rats, Diamond published research that showed that play with friends and toys, creates larger brains and improves cognitive function.
Play News and Updates
Power Up Play! a Popular Webinar
On Tuesday December 3, a large audience heard Dr. Stuart Brown and Brendan Boyle discuss and answer questions about the importance of play for people of all ages. They described play as an activity a person is internally motivated to pursue that results in an experience of pleasure, fulfillment, and is often so engaging we lose our sense of time. The hosts emphasized the importance of play for strengthening relationships, fostering creativity, problem solving, and promoting well-being. They addressed misconceptions about play, and highlighted its importance as a fundamental aspect of human nature: “play is essential for well-being and should be prioritized in education and the workplace.” You can watch a recording of the webinar on our YouTube Channel.
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Did Play Shape Evolution of Modern Humans?
In a compelling exploration of human evolution, psychologist Peter Gray proposed a theory that play was a driving force behind the behavioral and biological changes distinguishing modern Homo sapiens from their ancestors. Gray argues that play not only shaped early human culture but also influenced the evolutionary process itself.
Gray links the emergence of playfulness to a transformative period around 80,000 years ago, when Homo sapiens began exhibiting traits such as reduced aggression, increased cooperation, and more sophisticated social interactions. These changes paralleled those seen in the domestication of animals, where tameness and playfulness often co-evolve.
The prolonged childhood of modern humans, Gray suggests, provided a fertile period for play-driven innovation. He contends that this playfulness not only fostered the development of language but also acted as a selective trait in mate choice, promoting cooperation and humility over dominance.
Gray warns that today’s education systems undervalue play, risking the neglect of a fundamental aspect of human evolution and social development. Dr. Gray’s full article.
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Making Play Based Learning Work
The 360 School in London uses a play-based learning model for children aged 4-6 and will expand to ages 4-11. The children learn through play which fosters their desire to learn and gives them a sense of autonomy. School administrators are pleased because the children are both meeting the national curriculum standards and enjoying the learning process. Another positive is that teachers transitioning to the 360 School from traditional classrooms have adapted well to the play-based environment. They find that their initial concerns –that a classroom of independently playing children will be more work than a classic classroom– are quickly dispelled. And, the overt happiness of the children is contagious. This 8-minute video tells the story.
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Current Issues of Play Journals
- International Journal of Play Therapy – 2024 Issue 4
- American Journal of Play – 2024 Issues 2&3
- International Journal of Play – 2024 Issue 3
- Journal of Play in Adulthood – 2024 Issue 1
