I remember one day when I saw my grandmother Yvette jumping in the kitchen. I was maybe twelve years old when I asked her what she was doing. She responded: “I’m simply putting the cereal box in the recycling. I could open each of the flaps but it’s much more fun to jump and crush it flat.” So I joined her, and we were jumping together, long after the boxes were flat. Playing for playing’s sake. I can’t think of a more fun and playful way to recycle boxes.
Playing is another key to our joie de vivre because it reconnects us with our most primal state of being. Playing is more than human. It’s an animal instinct. Trying things, challenging ourselves, pushing others, testing limits. You can recognize true playing when the focus remains on the process and not the result.
Although some might see working as playing, few see playing as work.
What is the antithesis to play? The ying to play’s yang? It’s sloth and apathy. Can you imagine anything more energy consuming than play? Playing requires extra spirit and motivation because there is no ulterior motive. The game is its own reward. The effort required to play comes from intrinsic sources. There are no sloths playing in an improv game, no apathy in hockey and no mental lazyness in video games.
Play+Treat = Safe space.
With society’s recent sensitivity to mental health, there’s a lot of talk about a safe space. A safe mental, physical, emotional space is a tacit requirement for play. Two kids improvising in an imaginary world don’t recognize that they have created a safe space. Hockey players on the outdoor rink know to keep the puck on the ice to avoid high sticks. Board game players don’t know if they will win or lose in the end but playing is what matters.