Play on Purpose

Playing isn’t just for kids! As adults we understand the importance of allowing children to play as part of their physical and emotional development, but play is critical for adults as well. 

Research tells us that when we engage in playful behaviors, we are boosting our overall well-being. Playful behaviors might not be obvious and it’s not necessarily the same as playing a game. For example, if you play a sport but get angry when you don’t do well then that isn’t playful behavior. But if you are engaged and feeling good about the challenge of the game, then it is considered playful behavior. 

Studies have shown that playfulness in adults boosts your overall well-being and creativity; helps you cope with stress; and improves physical health. (The Importance of Play for Adults). 

Let’s Play!

Dr. Stuart Brown, founder of National Institute for Play, has identified eight play personalities that can help you figure out what type of play you might want to explore. You can start by trying something new that sounds fun to you. You can try something active like hiking, or something social like going out with friends, or something quiet like reading a book or painting. The intention is to find activities that make you feel free and bring you joy. If you’re not sure where to start, you can follow the link below to take the quiz to find your play personality. I know for sure that my play personality is the Creator/Artist!

Try This

There are so many ways to test out your playfulness personality. Here is a drawing game that you might want to try:

The Scribble Game

• You can play this game on your own or with someone else
• Using paper and a pencil
• Close your eyes and make a scribble on the paper
• Now, you or the other person, gets to make an image from your scribble
• Take turns creating scribbles for each (or yourself) and turning them into something new
• There is no right or wrong way to play this game - there is no right or wrong way to make a scribble or create the image from it. 
• Have fun with the process!

References:

• Scribble it. Color it. Explore it. An Experiential Exercise
• Making Play Part of Adult Life
• Play Personalities
• The Importance of Play for Adults