Play Time is for Grown-ups
By Dr. Pamela Frank, BSc(Hons), ND
After an afternoon on the skating rink, I thought it might be worthwhile emphasizing the importance of playing. Playing teaches kids coordination, adult roles, social interaction, and basic problem-solving skills. But it’s not just for kids. Play is important no matter what
your age.
Play is good for your health. Outdoor play often involves exercise, relieves stress and releases a whole range of feel-good chemicals in your brain. A few weeks back, my son and I had some spare time, so we headed out to the playground at his school. He wanted to play hide and seek. I was all “I don’t want to, it’s for kids, I’m too big, I’m too old, blah, blah, blah…” I had all the excuses not to, but he was persistent and so I acquiesced. You know what? I had a blast, we had fun, we laughed, we played and we bonded because of a game of hide and seek. Best of all it involved NO electronic devices, no special equipment, no expensive membership or admission fees.
Playing is good for your brain, too. It creates a state of hyper-creativity that literally changes the way you see the world.
It unites your mind and body. In play, the gap between physical sensation and mental sensation is bridged.
Playing creates social bonds. It is a rock-solid foundation for social behaviour. Hence the adage, the family that plays together stays together!
Fortunately, there’s an easy, natural and proven effective remedy for play deprivation: go out and do it!
In this day and age, it’s easy to get caught up in being all adult, serious, busy, goal oriented, getting stuff done, work, work, work, emails etc. It’s equally important to take some time off to play, have fun, be social and bond with those you are closest to.