Member-only story
Have we Lost the Idea of Play?
In adults and in children?
A couple of months ago, my aunt, an anthropologist, was telling us about a lecture she was giving in her University class. It was all about play and how we learn things as children when we play. I learned, as kid, that you shouldn’t climb apple trees that have weak limbs, else you’ll come crashing to the ground and give your mom and your neighbour mom heart attacks. It was a good lesson to learn and I only climbed a few more trees after that, as long as they had sturdy branches. My aunt talked about her own instances of learning growing up, when they’d head out into the field and explore for hours on end, no schedule in sight, figuring things out as they went.
Surprisingly, or not so depending on who you ask, most of her class hadn’t truly played in years. They called out in gleeful remembrance of their soccer practices, of sports played with friends, of after-school activities that they did as youth. My aunt then pointed out that none of those were actual play. Yes, they were playing a game, and play is often used to describe what you do during such games, but it wasn’t the true type of play she was talking about. She was asking about the play where you use your imagination, try experiments, do things just for the hell of it. Play doesn’t have a set time or rules (except maybe come back for supper and don’t get yourself killed).
