This is a good question, but I think it depends upon what we consider “play.” Play is defined as an activity engaged in for enjoyment and recreation rather than for practical purposes. By that definition, I could consider a daily walk play, although that may be a bit of a fudged definition, because it is also practical – it helps with my physical and mental fitness. Writing might be considered play, because I do enjoy it, but I don’t write just to write; it’s cathartic, often helps me parse out my emotions and come to a decision, and I hope to be writing to be informative or educational and entertaining as well. Creative writing may sometimes be *just* for enjoyment, but I kind of wonder how one knows whether their creative writing is any good without an audience, making the motive not just enjoyment, but for the work to be read and responded to? Oo, that makes it art, how fancy lol!

The idea of “play” for me brings to mind literally playing games, which loved ones and I try to do together often. Everything else gets suspended to immerse ourselves in a board game or an RPG, (role playing game,) and when it’s nice out, the kids love to play hide-and-seek outside. I do still like to run around at the playground with them, (and hope to never lose that type of play!) These are more “pure” examples of play, since they are done for the sake of themselves. Although not purely, since there is also the enjoyment of the time shared with those played with.

When one of my kids was a baby, she hadn’t started talking long past the time when we expected she would. Part of this was because her older sister started talking very early, but it was also based upon those general benchmarks pediatricians provide. We decided to have her evaluated, and check whether there was a physical or mental reason for the delay. What was impressive at the time is that the child therapist came to our home and simply played with our child. The therapist brought children’s blocks, stacking toys, soft books and other items, and just sat on the floor interacting with our kiddo. She simply played with her, and from that was able to gauge where our child’s development was at. (It turned out, she just wasn’t ready to talk yet, and didn’t really need to, since her older sister spoke at a mile a minute and often spoke for her.) This wasn’t the only time I heard of simple interactions we do with kids being multi-purpose. Yes, babies like being gently bounced or swayed for comfort, but the movements also help develop their inner ears and sense of balance. Letting toddlers feed themselves may be messy, but it helps develop their tactile senses and encourages feelings of capability and independence. So, the definition of play as something purely done for enjoyment seems misleading; I think it is a very rare thing in this world for anything to be single-purposed, or not include a practical component.

The website PsychCentral lists play personalities, to help adults find ways of being more playful:

1. The Collector: You enjoy building collections, such as collecting stamps or vintage cars.
2. The Competitor: You enjoy playing (and winning) games with specific rules, like playing for a neighborhood soccer league.
3. The Creator or Artist: You find joy in making things, or making things work. You might enjoy doodling, woodworking, decorating, fixing machinery, or sewing.
4. The Director: You enjoy planning and directing, like hosting themed birthday parties.
5. The Explorer: You play by discovering something new, either physically (a new place) or mentally. You might play by going on a vacation to a new place or discovering a new type of music.
6. The Joker: You enjoy being silly and foolish. You might enjoy improv theatre or simply making your friends laugh.
7. The Kinesthete: You enjoy moving your body as play. You might practice yoga or take a dance class for fun.
8. The Storyteller: You play by listening to or creating stories. You might enjoy going to the theater or writing in a journal.

I find this list to be helpful, since it defines a wide variety of activities that adults might participate in, and kids as well! I like that I can identify with several of these as well, not just one. PsychCentral also points out that play for adults is very important, since it makes us more emotionally and mentally resilient. It’s almost as if by doing things that we find relaxing & enjoyable, we build up some emotional reserves which we can draw upon in times of stress. A perhaps more technical way to explain this is that by experiencing a more full spectrum of emotions, our psyches are more elastic. If you are a kinesthete, then movement is play to you, and moving keeps us healthy! In surveying people about playing, researchers found that adults who play are more creative, have a higher level of life satisfaction, have a strong sense of hope and approach life with excitement, energy and a healthy sense of humor. Like a great many life experiences, play is about our mindset toward it. If you’re positive and enjoying something, it can count as play! Haha, make doing the laundry play! Dance around while you vacuum! See how many rolled pairs of socks you can get into a basket across the room – all play!

By these definitions of play, I play a lot more than I thought I did, which makes me very happy to realize. I hope this helps you also appreciate play in your life, or develop more play in your everyday. What are your favorite ways to play, or what ways would you enjoy playing more? Leave a comment below!