At every workshop, we ask participants a question that almost always stumps them: how do you play? There’s always an awkward pause. No one makes eye contact and the whole room seems to think. Is it really that difficult to answer that question?
To us, it seems logical, almost crucial to the role of a play advocate to take some time out and experience play. Without that experience, you aren’t able to fully appreciate the essence of play. Without full immersion once in a while you won’t be able to fully understand the importance of play for children.
So at every workshop, we encourage the adults to play by giving them an opportunity to take part in a mini Pop-Up Adventure Playground. In Australia, just as it has been for all the other locations we have been to, the adults have responded really well to being given a tiny window to do whatever they want – Morgan wrote a little about it last time we blogged. Here are a couple of other images from workshops we’ve done in Australia, as playworkers on tour:
Embracing Play Across Continents
The need to play is present in every single one of us. Some of us might need larger doses of it than others – children most of all need heaps of it. But we forget how important it is sometimes. Sometimes we are too busy being grown ups and raising grown ups to remember that we need play, and our child needs play. So remind ourselves why we need make play a priority by going out to play!
Here at Pop-Up Adventure Play, we would like to encourage everyone to play every day. Even while we are busy on our World Tour, we have managed to fit in some moments of play, after all, we playworkers still have to play! Here are some of photos from the past few weeks to inspire you:
