The Power of Play…for ALL Ages!
Written by Jade Oldfield, BA, BEd
“Play isn’t just one portal to plasticity; play is the fundamental portal to plasticity” (Huberman, 2022).
While play often seems to be reserved for our children, in reality, our brains are wired to play at all ages. In fact, play allows all of us to rewire our brain by accessing its ability to change, or in other terms, its plasticity.
As children, play teaches us many things: boundaries, movement, and how to play different roles. In scientific terms, positive play experiences help to build the brain by shaping and strengthening certain pathways (such as remembering the rules) and allowing other pathways to fade away (such as becoming upset at losing).
As adults, the benefits of play extend beyond entertaining children. Play can actually enhance mental wellness by reducing depression and anxiety (Proyer et al., 2021; Van Vleet et al., 2019), it can enhance creativity and “divergent thinking” (Lockwood & O’Connor, 2017, p. 56), and it can help improve overall wellbeing (Lockwood & O’Connor, 2017; Proyer et al., 2021; Van Vleet et al., 2019). One of the best opportunities for us adults, however, is the ability to access the brain’s plasticity. Play is so great for children because it gives them never-ending opportunities to learn; play is so important for adults so that we learn the opportunities to learn are never-ending.
Play looks different to different people. While some types of play may have slightly different benefits than others, the main idea is the same: have fun! Think about the difference between playing a sport with friends with no stakes attached, versus running stairs or drills to improve your sports performance; both have structure of some kind, but the goals are very different. Through Building Brains Together, we advocate and promote “the importance of adult directed play in building developmental learning” for children (Gibb et al., 2021, p. 1), but today we want you to know that play is important for adults too!
Regardless of what kind of “board” your game uses (skateboard, board game, or boogie board), it still encourages flexibility. One important brain function is an executive function known as “cognitive flexibility.” It comes into play in our lives when we need to shift our plans quickly, such as when your boss asks you to complete a task for them at the last minute...or when someone snaps up that prime piece of property before you get to it in a game of Monopoly. Play requires quick, flexible thinking, regardless of what you choose to play.
While cognitive flexibility is great, so is physical flexibility; movement-based play is a great way to increase both your physical and cognitive health at the same time. Another benefit to movement-based play (in particular “pretend play,” or games you don’t play often) is that it also uses, and strengthens, the brain circuits related to movement. Our brains like to pay attention to how we move, and when we move in different and unfamiliar ways, our brains snap to attention and start to form new connections. Like the opening quote says: “Play isn’t just one portal to plasticity; play is the fundamental portal to plasticity” (Huberman, 2022).
If you’re looking at new ways to play, or some different ways to play with your child, here are some low-cost/no-cost ideas to check out:
· Frisbee Golf – as a newbie in this sport myself, I can tell you it definitely will build both cognitive and physical flexibility. Start here for some information on Lethbridge’s courses.
· Dots and Lines – on the run without a game? Try “Dots and Lines!” This is a fun, paper/pencil game where you try to outscore the other player by creating as many squares as possible – it’s not as easy as it might sound! You can find the rules for this game in our free resource section.
· Obstacle Course – make your own at home (or make the kids make it…), or check out the “challenge course” at Legacy Park for something different to try!
· Spray Parks – free to the public, throw on some swimsuits, or clothes that can get wet, and cool down in the summer heat. See here for locations.
· Geocaching – if you have a phone, download the “Geocaching” app and go on a treasure hunt! This one is fun to do with (or without!) kids.
· Stencil Games – ever wondered what to do with the hopscotch type games that are spraypainted on the ground? Check out this site to learn about some different games that we collaborated on with Be Fit for Life!
· Library – did you know that you can check out sports equipment and other physical literacy games/items from the public library? You can see an example list of different items here. Or, drop in at one of their many kids programs – FREE!
· Local Attractions – building on the above bullet, did you know you can “rent” tickets to local attractions like Fort Whoop Up from the library? Check out the list here to see what tickets you can check out for FREE!
· Outdoor Fitness Equipment – hoping to build your physical fitness but need to watch the kids? Make a game out of it! Push up contest, obstacle course, or use our “Musical Freeze” game in combination with different movements. Check out the different outdoor equipment stations here.
Whether you are 4, 14 or 64, play is a great way to improve your cognitive skills – which is good news for those of us working with Building Brains Together this summer, because we’re out in the community all summer to play with kids of all ages to help them build skills like cognitive flexibility, working memory and much, much more. If you’re interested in visiting us sometime during the summer, check out our schedule here, or if you want to learn how to bring some more play into your family’s life, check out some of our curriculum games (and how they build the brain!) here.
Sources:
Gibb, R., Coelho, L., Van Rootselaar, N. A., Halliwell, C., MacKinnon, M., Plomp, I., & Gonzalez, C. L. R. (2021). Promoting Executive Function Skills in Preschoolers Using a Play-Based Program. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 720225. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.720225
Huberman, A. (2022, February 7). Using Play to Rewire & Improve Your Brain (No. 58) [Audio Podcast]. In Huberman Lab. https://hubermanlab.com/using-play-to-rewire-and-improve-your-brain/
Lockwood, R., & O’Connor, S. (2017). Playfulness in adults: An examination of play and playfulness and their implications for coaching. Coaching: An International Journal of Theory, Research and Practice, 10(1), 54–65. https://doi.org/10.1080/17521882.2016.1268636
Proyer, R. T., Gander, F., Brauer, K., & Chick, G. (2021). Can Playfulness be Stimulated? A Randomised Placebo‐Controlled Online Playfulness Intervention Study on Effects on Trait Playfulness, Well‐Being, and Depression. Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being, 13(1), 129–151. https://doi.org/10.1111/aphw.12220
Van Vleet, M., Helgeson, V. S., & Berg, C. A. (2019). The importance of having fun: Daily play among adults with type 1 diabetes. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 36(11–12), 3695–3710. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265407519832115