Who wants to play?
Why is play so important for us? Jett, I still remember a little guy running around at the beach, hurtling himself toward the ocean (you called it the big “Ahhhh”) as I chased you down and rescued you from the waves. We both laughed ourselves silly over that! Savan, I remember a little girl who would run straight to the front of the theater and dance wildly as the movie credits rolled. I stood back and laughed at the joy you were expressing. Play is fun! But, it’s so much more than that. Play may actually be one of the most important things we do. Studies have shown that elementary school kids who get more than the average amount of recess, actually do better in school. Eagle Mountain elementary school in Fort Worth, TX recently implemented a policy of scheduling recess 4 times a day. I’m sure that sent some of those curmudgeons into a tailspin: the old-guard teachers and administrators who believe that sitting quietly at a desk, staring at a chalkboard and holding a number 2 pencil is the best way to learn. Eagle Mountain based their new policy on a model developed in Finland – a country where children produce some of the highest test scores in the world. Researchers found that kids in Finland actually have recess up to 4 times a day – 4 times more than their American counterparts. So how does more recess equal a higher learning aptitude? Play is not just some silly, mindless activity. It has some incredible benefits. The most obvious is that it allows for much needed energy release. Kids aren’t designed to sit still for very long, paying attention to something that’s not very interesting. In addition, unstructured play allows for free exploration and discovery. It sparks curiosity! It helps define roles and rewards success without harsh punishment for mistakes. It demands quick decision-making and rewards repetitive behavior. And it’s fun. This is a very important component because it reinforces behavior without the need to win in heroic fashion all the time. Having fun releases chemicals in your brain that make you feel good and give you the desire to repeat this experience. Many times the act of play helps build relationships through cooperation. We play to each other’s strengths and learn to combine effort to ensure a better result. We also vilify the cheaters. It’s patently unacceptable to allow others to break the rules and game the system. Even cheaters know that they’re wrong. That’s how deep our sense of fair play runs. Play is a microcosm for how the world works best. Your ability and desire to play will help you throughout life. As you get older, you’ll be exposed to how play impacts your world: playing the stock market, playing the odds, playing politics, playing with people’s emotions, playing “the game” to get ahead in your career. Play is integral throughout life.
Here’s what I’ve found: while I’m engaged in a fun, meaningful, playful activity, part of my mind is actually working on serious problems and challenges. Play has a way of letting serious matters cook in one part of your brain to the point where they surface as “aha” ideas because your brain is in a state of fun. No one likes to grind out the solutions to problems. That’s precisely why, when we encounter a problem we don’t understand, we should step away for awhile, engage in a fun activity and give our brain a chance to work best. That’s a productive break. We give permission to our brain to be more creative and find new paths to address a given problem. So the next time you are wrestling with a challenge that seems insurmountable, try something revolutionary. Try playing. You might be surprised how effective and how much easier it becomes to solve your problem. And if, after play, your problem is still a puzzle, then you will have exercised a great opportunity to have fun anyway. So that’s a win. And then go ask for help. Play to your strengths. Now go have an incredibly rich, fun-filled day! Love dad.
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