Play is the most natural thing
that kids do, yet somewhere along the way, many lose this natural inclination
to play! We get so serious and have more important things to do. We feel
compelled to be productive and are supposed to successful. For many adults,
their lives are consumed with work – the opposite of play.
The
author proposes that many adults are ‘play-deprived’ and do not given
themselves permission to play enough. She suggests that playing may seem
childish, unprofessional, or wasteful of adult time and energy. Maiers
encourages her readers to seriously rethink this notion and treat play with the
seriousness it deserves!
Dr.
Stuart Brown maintains that play is not a luxury, but rather a necessity in his
recent TED talk, making the scientific case that play is anything but frivolous
and should not be exclusive to children. He stated, “The opposite of play is
not work, it is depression.”
Charles
Schaefer, founder of the Association for Play Therapy, says the following about
play: “We are never more fully alive, more completely ourselves, or more deeply
engrossed in anything than when we are playing. Through play our whole being is
engaged - our bodies, minds, and souls. Play allows us to express ourselves and
connect most deeply with the best in others, thereby improving relationships.”
Who doesn’t deserve to feel
more alive, to laugh, to reconnect and deepen their engagement with the world? Consider this your official permission slip to
explore, experiment, wander, wonder, tinker, get silly, discover, fiddle
and in the process have extraordinary amounts of fun!
Give yourself permission and allot
time to play this holiday week! There is a little bit of kid in us all and by
allowing that part to come out and play, our work lives will be more productive
and perhaps happier!
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
-Dr. Paula Sissel
Garden County Schools
Superintendent/Elementary
Principal
[email protected]