Soul Warriors | Life Design by Liz Connors

Create your best life after therapy.

  • Home
  • About Liz
  • Work With Me
  • Blog
  • Appointment Scheduling
  • Contact Me

Reclaiming Play

June 21, 2015 by Liz Leave a Comment

Reclaiming Play PinWhat do you miss about being a child? Your gut reaction might be “nothing” – it is certainly mine, anyway. I wouldn’t return to childhood for all the money in the world. (Or any year before 1994, really.)

It’s not entirely true, though – there are things that I do miss. Playing. Making up games. Singing out loud with the radio, dancing. (Okay…I still do that!)

This last Christmas, my mom got me one of the best gifts ever: Spirograph, one of my very favorite childhood games. If you’re not familiar, it’s a way to draw these beautiful patterned designs using gears and a frame.

I’ve since spent hours playing with it, happily lost in the spiraling patterns, loving the excuse to deploy my full range of colored pens.

This week, I’m inviting you to try reclaiming play in your life – go back to childhood games and bring them into your adult world. If you feel stumped for ideas, check out The National Institute for Play’s patterns of play and see which (if any) sounds like your way to reclaim play this week:

“Attunement play, which establishes a connection, such as between newborn and mother.

Body play, in which an infant explores the ways in which his or her body works and interacts with the world, such as making funny sounds or discovering what happens in a fall.

Object play, such as playing with toys, banging pots and pans, handling physical things in ways that use curiosity.

Social play, play which involves others in activities such as tumbling, making faces, and building connections with another child or group of children.

Imaginative or pretend play, in which a child invents scenarios from his or her imagination and acts within them as a form of play, such as princess or pirate play.

Storytelling play, the play of learning and language that develops intellect, such as a parent reading aloud to a child, or a child retelling the story in his or her own words.

Creative play, by which one plays with imagination to transcend what is known in the current state, to create a higher state.“

(National Institute of Play, summarized by Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/?title=Play_(activity))

Humanity has advanced, when it has

As adults, we still get to play with all these types of play – I’ve created a suggestion list for you below. Make reclaiming play a priority this week by trying one (or better yet, making up your own!)

  • Attunement play – try increasing your eye contact with people you meet throughout the day. See what happens – you may meet someone new.
  • Body play – try a new sport, a new dance, a different type of movement.
  • Object play – try something like a Rubik’s cube, or solving a jigsaw puzzle,
  • Social play – hang out with friends this week!
  • Imaginative or pretend play – investigate opportunities for acting in your area, or try playing a role-playing game like an MMORPG or Magic.
  • Storytelling play – write a short story, read a new book, or write epic poetry.
  • Creative play – try making that invention you are always thinking up. See what happens!

Reclaiming Play FB

Are you willing to commit to reclaiming play? Leave a comment and let us know how you plan to play more this week.

Liked this post? Keep in touch!

Sign up to receive newsletters delivered to your inbox on the first, third, (and occasional fifth) Sundays, lifetime access to my free tools library, first notice of new programs, classes, and sales.

Tweet
Pin1
Share92
93 Shares

Filed Under: Create Your Best Life, Blog Tagged With: June2015, play

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Explore the Blog

  • Welcome to My Blog
  • Get Unstuck
  • Discover Your Passion
  • Create Your Best Life
  • Trauma Healing Resources

free & fun stuff

Why Work With Me?

Because I'm on your side. Because I can often see the beautiful truth about you, even when you can't. Because I understand what it's like to wonder if I will ever get over 'my issues' - and how it feels to believe a job was eroding my soul. Read My Story...

Please note, I am not a licensed therapist. The information and resources on this site are for educational and informational purposes only.
None of the information provided is meant to treat or diagnose any condition nor is it a substitute for medical, or psychological, diagnosis and treatment.
In case of serious psychological, physical, or other issues, please consult a health professional immediately.

Copyright © 2023 · Metro Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in