Why Play?

I went to a training this summer and as much as I would love to take all of the credit for what I am about to share with you every bit of it comes from an amazing man named Dr.Spencer Kagan who is well known in education for cooperative learning.  He published a book entitled "Silly Sports and Goofy Games" which your children were exposed to on the very first day of school :)  in a teambuilding activity.  They were divided into three teams and asked to hold hands and make a circle.  I tossed a balloon in the center of their circle and they had to work together as a team without letting go of each others hands to keep their balloon from touching the ground.  Once the balloon touched the ground I would come over toss the balloon back up into the air and they would start again.  There was no winners, or losers just a way to work on teambuilding skills.  They loved it and it was a way for me to incorporate teambuilding and classbuilding at the same time!
Dr. Kagan focuses an entire chapter on why it is important to play and if I could copy the entire 20 some odd pages and hand it out to all of you I would because I think it is great info, but I would like to just hit on the high points that he makes!

• We need play if we are to be ourselves.
• We need play to counteract pressures which place too exclusive an emphasis on winning.
• We need play to take a break.
• To get energized.
• To sharpen reflexes.
• To release emotions.
• To enjoy others.
• To be spontaneous.
•  To be expressive and creative.
• To become more moral.
• To experience joy.
• To reaffirm life.
• The rationale

Consider the typical school. Is there play o the playground? What kind of play? There are many forms of play. Competitive, mock battles are but one form of play. Healthy play includes spontaneous, unpredictable, and joyous interaction. Many forms of play involve fantasy, pretending,. Through magic of play for a moment a small child escapes his/her limits to become a jet pilot or a dragon slayer.  Play can be a time to escape the bonds of reality--a permissible breaking of rules.  During many forms of play we let fantasy and imagination rule; we play with reality, temporarily escaping it's limits.  Play is imaginative, creative, joyful. Healthy play is playful. 
Organized, sports, whatever their other merits, often miss the essence of true play.  Rules, predictable sequences, a narrow focus on outcome rather than process, and exalting winners at the expense of losers all work against the possibility of play.  Although there is much gained fro, organized sports, contests, and traditional games they do not meet the basic definition of play.  They do not fill the need for spontaneous, joyful action and interaction.
If there are many forms of play, all of which are important for the healthy development of the child, adolescent, and, yes, the adult, why have we settled so exclusively on organized competitions? Competition is healthy. So is spinach. But would we do well to feed the nation's youth a diet made up almost exclusively of spinach?  Why aren't the other forms of play on the nation's playgrounds? We bemoan the lack of character development among our youth, but then send them out daily to do battle, to see each other as obstacles. What would happen if instead on a regular basis they saw each other as companion, rich resources?
A boost in self-esteem based on a win is always temporary and shallow.  For every person or team you can beat, there is another person or team that can beat you.  A competitive victory may pump our egos for a moment, but it does not enhance our humanity.  A boost in self-esteem based on enhanced ability to encounter, befriend, and enjoy others, is both deep and lasting.  A social orientation which seeks ways to work with rather than against others is one which will reap from life not only more pleasure, but more success.  Ultimately, "Fun" and "Joy" are more powerful three letter words than "Win".
Imaginative, noncompetitive, joyful play helps us connect with our essence.  Through play we rediscover meaning.  It is an antidote to the outcome oriented society in which we live.  In the spontaneous moment of play we abandon thoughts of the future, coming to be fully present.  We return from play to our future-oriented endeavors refreshed, renewed and reconnects to our joyful selves.  Animals instinctively express and discover the joy of life through play.  Play is important because without it we cannot be truly ourselves or be truly happy. 

What Way May I Play Today?

Shall I

Play along with he joke, or play for keeps?

Play hooky, play possum, or play politics?

Today Shall I

Play people off--one against another,

Playing both ends against the middle?

Play up to them, play into their hands,

Play hard to get, or play it straight?

Today, I say, shall I play

Fast and loose, or play it safe?

Play it up, play it down, or play it cool?

What way may I play today?

--Spencer Kagan