Why Playing is Important at Any Age

It was Plato who said “You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.”  Play is important not only for children, but for adults too.  All work and no play may “make Jack a dull boy”, but it also makes Jack a worse corporate manager.  According to a number of studies, those whose lives don’t include play have an increased risk of mental health issues, diseases related to stress, addiction and violence.

Dr. Stuart Brown, founder of the National Institute for Play says, “What do most Nobel Laureates, innovative entrepreneurs, artists and performers, well-adjusted children, happy couples and families, and the most successfully adapted mammals have in common?  They play enthusiastically throughout their lives.”  As we get older, however, we encounter barriers to playing.  We not only have far less time to play, given the demands of work and family, but…