It's all about the Play!

Playing is having fun and enjoying a challenge. Everyone does it, including those who say they don't. Even the most serious banker has a part of his day where he does something he enjoys, or at least has a challenge to overcome. Enjoyment is at the heart of Play. If people do something and it's interesting and fun, they're very likely to do it again... and again. Just as importantly; As the activity is repeated there is satisfaction involved in getting better at doing it. The satisfaction itself is a reward, over and above whatever else the stated reward ends up being. You're much more likely to come back for more when you can feel that satisfaction of doing well and even the additional boost of the win.

What is Playing and why do people do it? Playing is imaginative, fun, social and can challenge many skills. It can be exercising imagination, picturing a situation and putting yourself in it. This is more in the way of mental games, where the challenge is in playing the role of a character in a fantasy game. These types of games are very popular today, sucking you into the trials and tribulations of an imaginary character in a world long long ago and far far away. It can be a duel of wits, testing all the various kinds of thinking; From chess to checkers, cards to "go", matching wits with someone can be very challenging and ultimately rewarding. It can be a test of various skills against an adversary, as in sporting games. Everyone can remember playing games in the schoolyard, testing your skill against the other kids and winning a game once in a while. the fun is in playing "with" the others and sometimes enjoying team matches where individual efforts are rewarded by helping the team go on to win the contest. Playing can have social aspects as well, enabling people to get to know each other. Nothing can help you get to know each other like playing on a team with others trying to overcome the obstacles presented by another team and finally winning the match.

When I play, I like to use my imagination. Pretending I'm somewhere else doing something else. It's a fun getaway from the day to day world. There are social aspects to this as well, since playing with others adds a sense of unpredictability, camaraderie and allows sharing in the fun. Whether it's playing an MMO online or just a simple game of baseball, it's enjoyable to test your skills against others. Most importantly, people play because they enjoy it.

Who plays, you say? Almost everyone enjoys playing. A librarian may come home and play boardgames on the weekend with friends. A plumber may like to frag people online in an MMO shooter at night. A college professor may enjoy getting into a good debate on the weekend debate club. Little Johnny likes to play make-believe with his army men, or Hide and seek with his neighborhood friends. Playing allows everyone the chance to do those things which they find enjoyable, but which may not be something that they make a living doing.

People learn through playing. Play allows practice at skills we enjoy. Practice results in learning new skills as well as making existing skills better. Sportsmanship is learned through structured play, where rules must be followed. Cheating is discouraged through penalties. Planning is a common ingredient and in play and is often the deciding factor in whether or not success is seen. Strategy and thinking ahead through what opponents will do and deciding on a strategy to maximize the chance of success is often the difference between winning and losing. Hand-eye coordination, in the case of sports, is needed to be successful. Those who enjoy these types of games are rewarded with better physical health, as well as increasing the skill directly related to the game.

How do children play? Imagination is the key ingredient, allowing children to play no matter what the environment or what they have with which to play. Toys are fun to play with, but it's not a "needed" thing. With imagination , just about anything can be used to further play. Certain educational toys, like activity tables, can be useful to cause children to think and reason - solving problems and learning new ways to perceive the world.

In any play environment, especially in games, practice does make perfect. The more we play, the more we learn how to play better. If a game is fun and rewarding, we're much more likely to play it again, so finding the right kind of game or activity to maximize your enjoyment is a very good idea.

In conclusion, playing is good for everyone and just about everyone does it. It engenders relaxation and promotes good health, both mental and physical. Socialization through play provides a sense of community and a sense of shared fun found nowhere else. When you find something in which you are interested and which also provides fun and the ability to play, you'll find yourself coming back time and again. Children instinctively love to play. It one of the best ways for them to learn and have fun doing it.

Play on!