Benefits of Play
Do you remember the carefree feeling of climbing on jungle gyms, swinging on swings and launching yourself off? Do you remember creating stories with Barbie dolls, making ordinary cars fly, or running as fast as you could, simply to see how fast you could be? There were no strings attached, no feeling that you must dutifully check play off your to-do list. It simply was existing in this world with your imagination transforming the everyday into the fantastical. It was skipping and galloping just because your body could and it was fun.
When was the last time you engaged in play like that? My guess is it has likely been a while. And while our bodies may not be conditioned quite the same anymore and our minds fill with tasks of work, caring for our homes, and raising families, play is something that should not be tossed aside, simply because we live in a world where play is not encouraged in adulthood.
One trouble, is many of the things we do to try to engage in some form of play, we don’t do out of the whimsy of our hearts; we do it because of some other goal. For example, the child runs to run, but typically, the adult runs to lose weight or maintain good heart health. The draws to draw but the adult draws only if they have been encouraged to do so growing up and typically the artist hopes to sell that work or at least becomes very critical of their work and may give up easily if it is not turning out as they pictured.
If there is another goal behind the play, the benefits of play for the sake of play are often lost. Blog contributor, Onah Caleb, cites that play can help reduce stress, enhance social skills, improve physical health, increases empathy, and promotes resourcefulness (psychreg.org, 2020). When you approach play as an opportunity for fun and leisure, so many positive aftereffects are produced.
Regular play helps you see new perspectives, problem-solve, and connect with the world around you in new, deep, and exciting ways. So, grab some friends and LARP, play a game of tag football, climb the jungle gym, or whatever game entices you. Life is more than work and chores. Get out there and play.