What is play?

When people find out what I do in the studio, they often share a longing to experience more fun in their lives. When I ask them what this fun might look like they stare blankly at me for a few moments before admitting that they don't really know.  

I struggle with this problem myself.  

To the child play comes easily but for the adult it can be a bit of a conundrum.  

How do we make time for it?  What does play look like as a grown up?  How might we cultivate a sense of fun in our daily lives and experience all the heart-healthy, brain benefits of joy?  

Who better to ask than our resident play experts, the children?  So of course I asked.

Here is a transcription of our conversation:

Maisie             Play means to have fun.  I don’t know how to describe it.  I like to play animals, pretending like I’m an animal.  You can play with a friend if they want to play with you.

Garet               Play means…hmmm....its really, really hard to explain.  I wouldn’t explain it.  It’s something you have to show.  You can use toys when you play…

Maisie             …or  you can run around like we do at school.  But it’s only play when you are having fun.

Bennett          Play is like digging, running around, playing cheetah and other games.  I don’t know.  Play isn’t something you talk about.  It’s something you do.

Virginia           Yea and play can be a kind of show.

Addison          Well you can run around and climb.

Nora                 Yeah, you can play with friends or things.  I can’t tell you what play is.

Sonja               Grown ups are so old, maybe they just forget how to play.

Maisie             My mom and dad still know how to play because they have kids.  They forgot how to play, all grown ups forget how to play until they have a kid.   Kids help grown ups remember how to play.   

Angelina         Can kids teach everyone how to play?

Maisie             Kids can’t teach everyone how to play, just ones that are listening.

Luca                Play means FUN!  Working is inside and playing is outside.

Angelina         Do you ever play inside?  Like in the studio?

Maisie, Bennett, Sonja and Garet     Yes!

Maisie             You can play inside.  I do it all the time.

Luca                Yea I said so too.

Addison          But we are XP’ers and that means we do WORK.

Angelina         What is work?

Addison          Work has to be serious!  Play is fun.

Angelina         Can work ever be fun?

Addison, Luca, Maisie, Sonja and Garet         No!

That's a lot for each of us to consider.  Can work be fun?  Can play be work and work be play?  Do we value play as individuals?  As a culture?  Do we dismiss its importance?  Do we need play as adults as much as we needed it as children?