Today as I watched a pick-up basketball game in the park I noticed the players. I saw their determination, sheer joy and maybe even a sense of freedom. It struck me first because today is the day after the 2008 presidential elections and something about a multicultural group of people participating in a pick-up game in the middle of the afternoon on a weekday spoke to me about freedom. A game of basketball is also a nice way to think about why it is important to make time in our daily life for play. As adults we all have certain activities that bring us joy. These might include participating in a group sport such as basketball, gardening, cooking, or running through the grass with our children. We participate in these activities (we play) because it makes us feel good. Philosopher- psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in The Power of Play reports this inner sense of joy, or as he describes it, “the union of play love and work as flow.” The expressions on the player’s faces reminded me of this. They were completely engrossed almost unaware of the passing of time.
It is this “flow” that brings us back to the activity again and again. Even if the activity makes us sweat, break a nail or challenges us to think harder than ever. Children are the best example of this. When a child finds an activity which brings them joy, given the choice, they will repeat, repeat and repeat. This is why our children ask for the same book to be read over and over again. It is also why they play the same pretend game day after day. The good news is when we repeat activities we learn. This is especially true for Infants and toddlers but is also relevant when we think about the basketball game I observed at the park. If a person starts out as an average ball player and she plays once a week, enjoying the “flow” she will inevitably become a better player.
Children often repeat their “play” until they master the activity. Mastery is self defined. A child may feel they have mastered a book when they can remember the characters names or retell the story. They may place that book back on the shelf and move on to their next joyful activity. Mastery builds self-confidence and self-confidence provides children (and adults) to try something new. If a person feels confident during a pick-up game of ball they may decide to try another sport or work with a community organization.
So why play? Because when we play, we enter a zone of learning which encourages growth. Play encourages children (and adults) to feel self- confident and to continue to play, learn, and explore. This is what we at Two Kangaroos refer to as the cycle of play. Take a look at this diagram and think about your own life, your child’s life. Most of all, continue to play!
