I’m on my way over to Sport and Health in Gainesville to host our workshop on Play and Fitness… such a fun topic! Playing is so often treated as something frivolous or a treat to be ‘allowed’ after you have worked hard. But play is crucial to the development of our children and our own emotional and physical well-being. I hope to see many of you at the workshop today but in case you can’t make it I wanted to share a great video (side note: I love TED Talks- what an awesome resource!) of Stuart Brown of the Institute for Play talking about the real importance of play. It’s totally worth the 20 minutes of your time… and when you’re done get out there and play this weekend!
Some Key Thoughts on Play:
- Humans are designed to play for a lifetime- play is NOT just for kids
- The opposite of play is not work, it’s usually depression.
- Play lights up the brain- it builds neural pathways that help us with everything from emotional regulation to learning to physical coordination and problem solving.
- Play is a natural way to bring more mindfulness into your life- it’s one of a few activities that encourages us to focus on the moment.