Driving to the river to connect with some friends new and old this weekend, I greatly enjoyed American Public Media’s Program, Speaking of Faith on our local public radio station KRCC.  This weeks show was devoted to Dr. Stuart Brown, founder of the National Institute for Play.  As you might imagine, the institutes purpose seems a bit silly at first but is backed up by some rather formidable science.  From the Institutes website,

“The National Institute for Play is a 501c(3) non-profit public benefit corporation committed to bringing the unrealized knowledge, practices and benefits of play into public life. It is gathering research from diverse play scientists and practitioners, initiating projects to expand the clinical scientific knowledge of human play and translating this emerging body of knowledge into programs and resources which deliver the transformative power of play to all segments of society. ”

As a personal fan of recreation, down-time, and play time, it’s great to find those choices that feel so right in my own life backed up by science that states unequivocally that play is not only fun and rewarding but essential for proper development and health through out all of our lives.

The shows host, Krista Tippett asks Dr. Brown for his definition of the word Play,

“He defines play as “anything spontaneously done for its own sake,” and extends that to things that “appear purposeless, produces pleasure and joy, leads one to the next stage of mastery.”

From huskies with polar bear playmates, children learning empathy on the playground and killers who’s play-less childhoods lead them to regrettable lives, Dr. Browns research throws a wide net.  But again and again, the science demonstrates that we, that everything and everyone needs to play; To learn how to be citizens, teachers, brothers and sisters;  To remember how to lighten up and live life; To grow into and continue living as, the whole beings that we are meant to be.

The show, which goes on to explore the necessity of play in both the human and animal kingdom, is a true gem.  I encourage you to grab and listen to the podcast of this show available for free on American Public Media’s website.  There’s also a wonderful slideshow of huskies sparring with polar bears that is worth a look.  For future enjoyment, the show also airs Sunday mornings in BV @ 95.7 FM, KRCC.

More information on Dr. Browns work on play is available @ the Institute for Play’s home on the web.

Now get off your PC and go Play!  That’s why you live here, right?

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