Friday, February 18, 2005

 

wanna play?

remember when you were a little kid and your biggest priority was having enough time to play? what each of us liked to play varied based on our interests, but all of us loved to play. and secretly, or not so secretly, i think we all still do. unfortunately, as time goes on and we "grow up" we get the message that playing isn't important, that we don't have time, or simply that we're "too old for it."

jenny ward, disagrees with the idea that a person can be too old to play. she calls herself a play activist and i love her dedication to fun & play! in her recent article playful living she reminds us that:

Deep down inside, we are all craving to color outside the lines, or “mess” up without labeling ourselves failures. Perfectionism bruises the soul. Play allows your heart and soul to come out and dance. When I work with clients, I encourage them to erase “SHOULD, RIGHT, RESPONSIBLE and PERFECT” from the dictionaries called our minds. These words have very powerful intentions that have been passed down from generation to generation.“You should be this, you should do this, you better do that”, all over our society, placing tons of ideals and expectations on our plates.

I was tired of being told that I need to grow up and be responsible. Instead of “going with it” I chose to step outside that box and create a new way of being responsible. Instead of struggling I wanted to celebrate. Instead of being “the best” I chose to be happy. Life became a playground, offering new slides to climb up and new jungle gyms to easefully explore. PLAY became a way of life, not something on my “to do” list. In our world I notice that most adults are waiting until they are 65 in order to play. I don’t want to wait.

play is the brilliant method of learning that engages all of our senses as we creatively and freshly approach new people and things. not only is being playful fun, it allows us to learn while we relax, explore and challenge our bodies and minds.

what did you love to play when you were young? try making a list, and then start doing these things again. find a few minutes to dance every day, or hop on your bike and ride to the park, or call up a friend and ask them if they wanna play. try it and see what happens. and as always, i'd love to hear the thinking and learning you encounter along the way.

play big,
-kirsten


# posted by kirsten johnson @ 9:14 PM
Comments:
I love play! It is a little awkward to suggest it at first, but it is very helpful to have a little time and a little space and do it. Dancing around my room and making up songs as I go is my favorite, as well as dancing around the room in silly "ballroom" dancing with my boyfriend. We also read Shel Silverstein to each other and laugh hysterically. My goodness, if my friends who are so cool at the bars only knew... (o;
# posted by Anonymous Anonymous : 10:43 PM
 
Great stuff!Keep on posting Kirsten. I love reading your thinking.

BG
# posted by Anonymous Anonymous : 7:52 AM
 
Kirsten,

This looks great!

A resource on play & parenting someone recently reminded me of is http://www.playfulparenting.com/... maybe you can review it for those of us who play with kids everyday!

Hanna
# posted by Anonymous Anonymous : 8:09 PM
 
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