The Importance of Play

Merely Me,

One of the greatest joys of having children is that they teach us how to play again.  My son loves racquetball, football and baseball.  He cajoles me into going outside and playing with him and I always have a great time.  When he was younger, he was a great excuse to see all the Disney movies and go to the theme parks.  Now that he's older, we play chess and other strategy games.  My wife says she's raising two kids and I take that as a compliment.  Somehow, I'll have to find other ways of playing once he leaves for college.  But I do have to say, having a child helped take years off of my life (at lease maturity wise).

I don't know if you saw the movie Twilight Zone.  One story was about a group of old people in a home who had basically given up on life and happiness.  Then there arrives a new gentlemen (Scatman Crothers) who has a magical ability to make the people young again.  He convinces a few of them to meet at midnight and he transforms them into young children and gets them to play their favorite games.  They play most of the night and eventually return to their old age by choice.  After that one magical night of playing, they were alive again and filled with enthusiasm and energy.  So yes, play is important at any age.  It's wonderful to not feel your age, even for a few minutes.

Curt

I was thinking how brave you are.  I mean asking a bunch of adults to play with toys.  But then you mentioned the word slinky... and I thought " oh yeah... i could do that"

You are so right with your theme here.  Souls and bodies do need R and R, and to have fun.  And I do like the way I feel when I drink a bit and relax.  But I think the trouble flag should go up though when fun or relaxation MUST be preceded with alcohol or drugs.    Then is a good time to remember when you did not need any of that to have fun.

Hats off to you.  We are raising 3 grandchildren, and I have forgotton how to be young at heart.  I am sure it is a temporary condition(LOL).  thank yu for the reminder.  I will look at it more thatn one more time!

It has taken me many years to figure this out. Right now my granddaughter is my saving grace. Whenever I see her precious little face or hear her voice my heart melts and I fall in love with her new everyday. I did not think I would ever get on the floor and play again. My babe is 19 months old and we play and roll and laugh. She is so much fun. AND, I am also able to have fun with my boyfriend too. We are playful, laughing and joking and being silly. It has been a long time for me to be able to do that with an adult. Always had to be so SERIOUS....lol.

Thank you for this story. Thank you for being here to read so often.

HELLO MERELY ME, YOU ARE SO RIGHT ABOUT ADULTS NEEDING TO PLAY...I COLLECT DOLLS...I LOVE THEM, I TALK TO THEM WHEN I CHANGE THE OUTFITS AND THEY GIVE ME SO MUCH PLEASURE..WE MOVED TO A SMALER PLACE ALMOST 5 YEARS AGO AND I DID,NT HAVE ROOM FOR ALL OF THEM...I HAVE 4 GRANDDAUGHTERS, AND, I LET THEM CHOOSE THE DOLLS THAT THEY WANTED..OF COURSE I KEPT THE ONES I JUST COULD,NT GIVE UP....I ALSO LOVE STUFFED ANIMALS...I HAVE SOME VERY SPECIAL ONES THAT ARE HANGING ON A WALL IN MY BEDROOM..SPECIAL, BECAUSE MY GRANDDAUGHTERS  
PICKED THEM OUT FOR ME. MY ALMOST 20 YEAR OLD BRITTANY, MADE A BEAR FOR ME AND SHE DRESSED IT IN SCRUBS..SHE IS GOING TO BE A NURSE AND THAT MEANS SO MUCH TO ME. I,M JUST A KID TOO..YOU WERE SO SMART TO COME UP WITH THAT IDEA OF BRINGING TOYS TO THE GROUP...WE SHOULD ALL HAVE A TOY, IF WE ARE 2 OR 80 YEARS OLD....THANKS FOR THIS POST...GOD BLESS YOU, JENNIFER

HOW RIGHT YOU ARE ! TOO OFTEN US ADULTS ARE JUST TOO SERIOUS.

SOME ONE ONCE TOLD ME,.... IS IT GUNNA MATTER IN 5 YEARS ?......THINK ABOUT IT,.....IT PROBABLY WON'T.......I ALSO KNOW IT HELPS ME, WHEN IAM

DOWN ON THE DUMPS OR  HEAVILY INVOLVED IN A PROJECT, I'LL TAKE A

BREAK FROM THAT AND DO SOMETHING EASY OR LESS STRESSFUL  -  LIKE BUILD A BIRD HOUSE OR FEEDER. SOMETIMES I JUST PAINT. I ALSO HAVE A FAVORITE PLACE ALONG SIDE A STREAM WHERE I GO TO LET MY

FEARS AND WORRIES FLOW AWAY. JUST LIKE THE WATER.

      YOUR POSTS ARE VERY IMFORMATIVE AND HELPFUL MERELY ME.

AND BY-THE -WAY YOUR NOT JUST MERELY ANOTHER ME, - BUT A BEAUTIFUL HELPFUL PERSON IN A FAST PACED WORLD. PEACE & BLESSINGS.          -  DANNY G.

I am amazed that the therapist with whom you were working disparaged your idea of play. These are people for whom life has lost any sense of fun. I know that as a still active addictions counselor. I would have praised your idea to the skies.

That scene of the recovering addicts not only playing but bringing in precious toys really got to me - it's so moving. Letting all the tension go and getting immersed in playing with things lets a different mind- and feeling-set take over - it's a kind of freedom you almost never can feel in day to day living. Play isn't just release, though, it's creative activity that taps into imagination and discovery - those qualities are so effortlessly there in childhood but hidden away, probably starting in early teen years. My kids went to an alternative school for a while in the early grades. It was run by young guy whom one of my sons referred to as a grown up kid - because he taught through play. He created dramatic scenes with puppet shows, put on a circus for the kids each year (bringing in circus people who could train the kids to do tricks) and organized parades through town with everyone dressed as their favorite animals. His teaching was filled with songs, and he had a kid-like curiosity, wonder and imagination that saw the play and teaching possibilities in almost everything. Of course, he was the exception that proves the rule - the rest of us are usually grown up grownups, who forget about play - until it's rekindled by our own children or grandchildren - if we have them.

Thanks so much for bringing all this to mind again.

John