Remember when your number one, full-time job in life was to play? (And the flying kid in the photo on the left is definitely the boss of play!)
Well, I can remember summer kickball games that ran over into the next day. We would all run back out onto the field into the exact same configuration we left the night before – when we had to cut the game short due to nightfall (and literally not being able to see the ball anymore.) Everyone would go right back to where they were, including the base runners, and we might have some minor squabble over whether someone tried to move ahead a base or not, but we’d work it out and get on with the play. That was always the most important thing, getting on with the game, or whatever we were playing. We’d go on for hours all day, every day, only taking out as little time as necessary for eating and sleeping, and maybe washing up.
Do you remember your hours and days of play when you were a kid? Your memories of play might look different from mine, but think about these questions for a moment:
- What was your favorite way to play as a child?
- What kinds of things or activities brought you sheer joy when you were doing them?
- What kinds of things did you “get lost” in doing or love to do?
According to Dr. Stuart Brown, author of the book, Play: How it Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul, these kinds of play were essential to our development when we were children. He also suggests that tapping into our “play histories” can reveal ways that we, as adults (no matter what stage of adulthood we are in) can bring more play, and as a result, more joy into just about every aspect of our lives.
Dr. Brown asserts that play just makes us better all-around humans, throughout our lifetime:
Play is how we are made, how we develop and adjust to change. It can foster innovation and lead to multibillion-dollar fortunes. But in the end the most significant aspect of play is that it allows us to express our joy and connect most deeply with the best in ourselves, and in others. (Brown, 2009, p.218)
Playing brings us together! It unites us in a spirit of fun – and that brings joy into our lives. There is a lot more information in the book from Brown’s extensive research on play, including that play does not always involve the “fun and games” we might think of when we think about play; It may involve hard work; and sometimes play can even have a dark side. You’ll have to read the book to find out more though. It’s great and fast-paced, in case you are looking for something to read over the weekend.
We recently had a conversation on one of our Teams channels about play. I asked IRN team members to share their favorite play memories from when they were kids and here are a few of the responses I got:
Eric: For me, it was sailing and building forts [in the jungle]. (The jungle was my add-in – Eric literally grew up in the Amazon rain forest! Ask him about it sometime.)
Grace: I LOVED Barbies! Every week we would get an allowance, and every week I’d buy a new Barbie or save up to buy something for my Barbies – the adult in me doesn’t want to think about how much money I spent on them! lol I also loved playing sports for fun, soccer, hockey, volleyball, tetherball, etc.
Katy: When I was young I enjoyed adventures in the woods around our house and going to the pool or beach!
Meghan: I pretty much LIVED in a pair of roller blades – I wore them more than shoes lol I also ALWAYS had a book in my hand (usually Stephen King or Dean Koontz)
Jorell: I loved playing with my cousins when I was little. We would play “pretend” and act as if we were characters from a whole other world. We would play outside games like Red Light, Green Light and Manhunt (and sometimes play dodgeball with rocks which I don’t recommend) In the summers the fire hydrant was opened up so we could all play in the water. Those things and video games are what my childhood was made of.
Bailey: I loved photos and being outside all the time. I always had a camera and was never inside.I loved every second of being an adventurer. (:
Robert M: My sisters and I were often being told to go play outside, we loved playing “jedis” and would run around the yard whacking away at imaginary enemies before racing to the trampoline and diving through the net opening to take off in our “ship” I also loved computer games whenever I got the chance to play. When I was older I got involved in Boy Scouts and sea scouts and enjoyed spending time outdoors and on the water, Sea Scouts was particularly fun.
Justin: My brother and I set up a tent and camped in the living room all the time
Richard: When I was young, I lived near a beach on one side and a forest on the other side. At low tide we would explore holes in the rocks that had colorful fish and even seahorses. Then a friend would let me go with him hunting birds in the forest. So, mostly exploring.
I found it really interesting that so many of our team members enjoyed doing things that involved teamwork, exploring, building, and imagining . . . developing traits as kids that truly come in handy around here, when everyone is working together to come up with a creative solution to a technical problem!
We definitely have a fun team at IRN, and while we work hard, we also take time out to laugh and have fun together. Thanks to the efforts of Amanda, Tonya, and Katy we have been involved in some really fun team events, most recently the Zerto 2nd Annual Fun Run. We also have our usual IRN Christmas party shenanigans to look forward to every year.
We started off this month celebrating the Labor Day holiday. I know it is important to celebrate workers and work, but I think we should all remember to celebrate play, too! Perhaps you might like to spend some time this weekend doing a little daydreaming about how you used to love to play as a kid, and think about how you can bring that spirit of playfulness into your life now. Have fun!
References:
Brown, S. (2009). Play: How it Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul. Penguin Group.