18 Feb 2009
Many of us have lost touch with our playful spirits
and the joys that come with playing.
There is a lot of discussion about play, but how many of us have played today? Or this week? Or even this month?
We must relearn the joys of playfulness. To do so, we must be willing to spend freely, to squander, to waste (if you will), to be extravagant with our:
Time - Play must exist in a context of timelessness. The process is valued beyond the outcome of the play, so it must be possible to continue the experience across blocks of time, even across days and weeks. The play must find its own end, just as it found its own beginning.
Sense of Self - Play requires that one forget one's self. If self-conscious about their play, about how others will view either their play or the products of their play, children and adults are crippled. Their play is distorted by other consciousness.
Sense of Order - Play demands a certain amount of chaos.
There must be room for using things and doing things in new ways. Play equipment and space must be flexible to meet the changing needs of the players. There must be storage for uncompleted play, and respect for unfinished spaces. Players require a degree of uncertainty and support for taking risks. Play is nurtured when there is no labeling of wrong and right.
Joy - Play without enjoyment is just plain hard work. Players need to laugh, and boast, and practice. There are many choices to be made, and each is a challenge. Play brings out the best in each of us.
Do something playful in the next few minutes.
Re-experience the joy of it.
| Bonnie
Neugebauer is
editor of Exchange magazine and Exchange Press Books and Co-Founder of the
World Forum Foundation. She directs program development for the World
Forum on Early Care and Education and all Working Forums and Projects and
provides editorial oversight for Child Care Exchange and
ExchangeEveryday, a daily news brief. She has edited many books and
presented keynotes and workshop sessions around the world.
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