Are YOU play-deprived?
As we get closer to the end of Hear You Go podcast (what a run it's had!), and start the transition to Worth a Listen, a short audio format program, I'd like to share with you some thoughts on this episode of the Hear You Go podcast. Enjoy!
When you hear the word “play” what comes to mind? (That’s another way to say, what do you think of?)
When used as a noun, what springs to mind for me is the theater because in English a theater production is called a play.
On the other hand, when play is used as a verb, what comes to mind is my brother-in-law playing the guitar, or Team Canada playing soccer (they did so well in the World Cup—we Canadians are bursting with pride at how well they played as underdogs).
Play is important. For years, we’ve known this to be true. Just look at the quotes in the box below from some old farts who had some insights to share:
Play is, sadly, something most of us leave behind in childhood, and the costs are increasingly visible in our societies. We are burned out, stressed out, crabby, lonely, polarized, and feeling hopeless.
Play is necessary for creativity and for learning, and for these reasons alone, we language learners and language teachers should probably take a good hard look at how we incorporate play into our daily lives and work lives. We will all be better for it.
So in this episode of Hear You Go podcast (E98, titled “Are you play-deprived?) , I return to a topic that is dear to me: play. I listened to a couple of podcasts on the topic, and share them with you below.
We start with this question:
Are you play-deprived? Can you remember the last time you did something simply because it was fun?
The episode makes the case that it is important for adults to play. Yes, you read that right! Why do so many of us feel guilty about making time for it? What happens when productivity takes centre stage and play gets packed away or drilled out of us?
It turns out that play is deeply and vitally important to human beings. It’s a recipe for connection, curiosity, learning, and we can benefit from not taking life quite so seriously all the time.
🚨 For subscribers of Worth a Listen ONLY:
I've included a link here to a quiz where you can find out what kind of "play style" best describes you: try it here, if you like. You can also check on the wealth of information available about "play" on the website where I found the quiz, The National Institute for Play.
More links to research below:
🎧 Listen to the Hear You Go podcast episode 98 here.
Thanks for being here with me. You can look forward to shorter, MUCH shorter, audios in the near future. I promise!
So, are you play-deprived? What did you quiz reveal? I'm curious to know 😁.
In playfulness, Catherine
