Recovering Play (without practicalities)
I feel I should start off with a confession: I love goals. I am a finisher. It’s one of my favorite qualities about myself. I have never been a perfectionist, and in fact have probably never done anything ‘perfect’ in my life. But I love a to-do list.
Goals are a finish line of sorts. They are the ending to the story. I love goals. I love endings. That being said I think an important aspect to play is letting go of the ‘ending.’
My children are currently 5 and 2. My 5-year-old can make some really cool arts and crafts. He’s talented. Plus, he’s the kind of kid that will sit and color an entire intricate coloring sheet. When I plan projects with him I have an ending in mind, a thing we will make. My 2-year-old is very different. Obviously, his skills are different as those are very different ages when it comes to fine motor skills. But he also has a different personality and seems much more content to explore rather than finish. And to be clear, both are great. Finishing is great. But I want to focus on exploring for a minute.
Exploration is play.
This might mean mashing play dough or hiking through the woods with no trail. I sometimes forget to explore, because I get so focused on the finishing. The finishing is usually what we are ‘rewarded’ for. You can sell a handmade mug. You cannot sell 2 hours you spent playing with clay that you ultimately sealed back in its bag to use again later.
Efficiency is the enemy of play.
I have been trying to recover my inner child that isn’t focused on making a picture but rather is simply playing with the paints. Sometimes when I play I try not to have any destination in mind at all, I’m just an explorer on an adventure. It may be a grand adventure, or it may go nowhere in particular at all.
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Misconceptions About Play
Play has to produce something (like a final art piece)
Play has to feel ‘fun’ at all points
Play has to look or feel whimsical
Play has to be interesting to others
Play has to be free or very inexpensive (otherwise it’s wasteful)
Play must improve your skills in your job / as a parent / in your home / etc.
Play has to be a solo act always
Playdate Challenge – Explore
This month I challenge you to recover play without practicalities. Explore with no destination in mind. It’s OK if you do end up making something but the goal here is to simply explore. Here are some ideas to get you thinking.
-Go on a walk and take photos of things you see. (Don’t do anything with the photos after)
-Watercolor on natural surfaces like leaves, rocks, bark and return them to nature.
-Play with clay or playdough. Yes, even if you’re an adult.
-Write an essay or short story and share it with no one. Go ahead, be unhinged. Change the POV mid story. No one will ever know!
-Knit or crochet and unravel it after
Explore! Do whatever sounds fun. There is no pressure to make something beautiful or create something useful or have something you can show others at the end. Just play.
