Introduction
At the National Institute for Play we talk a lot about all the benefits of play, but what is play, exactly?
No surprise, there is no succinct or pithy definition for the endless variety of experiences that are play, however, experts agree: you know it when you feel it in yourself or when you see it in another person.
Our ability to study play has evolved from simple observational research to complex brain chemistry, but the results are the same: rather than any one activity or behavior, play can best be described as a state of being. In many ways it is similar to sleep in that when you are in a state of play, you are in a different state of consciousness. This month’s Play Note examines key characteristics of the state of play.
We also profile two early scientists who were the first to recognize the power of play. Using both biological and sociological lenses they purport that this intrinsically motivated state of being occurs naturally, effortlessly, and ultimately gives rise to sophisticated physical, emotional, and social skill sets.
Play Note: What Is Play Anyway?
What is play? For some, it’s a game of tennis. For others, it’s listening to music or camping in the woods. Play is different for everyone because it’s a state of being—an enjoyable, pleasurable state of mind. Dr. Brown calls it a State of Play.
In the 1970s, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, a distinguished psychologist, developed the theory of “flow” to describe the play experience. Flow occurs when an activity is intrinsically pleasurable; you keep doing it because it feels good. You’re fully engaged and often unaware of the passage of time. You’re in a State of Play.
The full Play Note explains the characteristics of play in more depth and links to a new page, “Do You Recognize Play When You See It?“
November Profiles: Early Play Scientists
Two of the giants in the study of play are Karl Groos and Johan Huizinga.
Groos (1861-1946), a German philosopher and psychologist, sought to understand why play persisted as a behavior in animals and humans over time. He concluded that play is a behavior that serves as a means for learning essential life skills. For example, play teaches animals how to hunt and nurture young, and in humans, it teaches us how to learn, communicate, and solve problems.
Huizinga (1872-1945), a Dutch historian and cultural theorist, proposed that play is not a trivial pastime but a fundamental aspect of human culture. He argues that human civilization emerged and evolved through playful activities such as storytelling, music, dance, and competition, all of which promoted cooperation and shared identity.
In this month’s Profile section, you’ll learn more about the differences and similarities between the perspectives of these two play scientists.
Play News & Updates
Power Up Play, a virtual discussion with Stanford Adjunct Professors Stuart Brown and Brendan Boyle.
What does play really mean, and how can it boost our creativity and well-being? Join us for an engaging conversation with Dr. Stuart Brown, play expert and founder of the National Institute for Play, along with Brendan Boyle, toy inventor, founder of IDEO Play Lab, and professor at Stanford University’s d.School. Together, they’ll explore the science behind play, the different types of “play personalities,” and how embracing play can enhance your everyday life. Register here.
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Science continues to show Risky Play is important for child development
Anthropologists tout the benefits of jungle gyms, monkey bars for child development
Also, ICYMI, in January this year the Canadian Pediatrics Association endorsed Risky Play.
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A Critical Message about Early Learning
When adults learn a specific skill (like medicine or driving) they use mastery learning. This type of learning enables us to develop specialist skills. This is NOT how young children learn. Their brains are literally structured differently. They are discovery learners – learning that drives them to explore and find out about the world. It is wide in scope. To adults, it often looks frustratingly unfocused. Adults tend to overvalue mastery learning and dismiss discovery learning as ‘just play’. We try to sit them in desks and give them worksheets to do, while they often fight us to be allowed to run around and pretend to be superheroes. Discovery learning lays the foundations for everything that is to come. Once you are grown, you cannot go back and learn like a 6-year-old (or an 8 or 10-year-old) again. We are pure discovery learners for a short and intense period of our lives. We have our whole adult lives to specialize, but you’ll never again have quite the same drive to play. Source: Naomi Fisher – a Clinical Psychologist who writes about self-directed education, trauma, autism and imagines a better way to learn.
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Current issues of play journals:
- International Journal of Play Therapy – 2024 Issue 3
- American Journal of Play – 2024 Issue 1
- International Journal of Play – 2024 Issue 3
- Journal of Play in Adulthood – 2024 Issue 1
