Why You Need to Play

The benefits go beyond fun and games

Be a child again—Ed Dreisbach rediscovers the fun of jump-roping as his son Eamon, 11 (right), and friend Jason Fatzinger, 10, man the rope. Waiting his turn is Jason’s dad, Scott Fatzinger. All are from Macungie.

Quick—put this magazine down and go outside. If it’s sunny, skip around the block. If it’s raining, put on your boots and jump in a puddle. When you’re done, come back to this story.

Welcome back! So, how do you feel? As you enjoyed an outdoor break, were you grinning from ear to ear? Did you recall those childhood summers when you played all day and didn’t realize it was dinner time until you heard Mom calling?

If so, you just engaged in play—and didn’t it feel good? “When you play, you’re in the moment,” says therapist Maryann Godbout, R.N., of Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network. “You throw yourself 100 percent into the activity and all your
senses come alive.”

Play has very important benefits besides being fun. In children, it helps develop social skills such as how to take turns, listen and assume responsibility for their actions. “Play is really disguised learning,” Godbout says. “When you play with your kids, they don’t realize you’re teaching them.”

But grown-ups may get even more benefits from playtime. “It relieves stress, stimulates creativity and keeps you young,” Godbout says. She suggests that adults take time to play on a daily basis: “It’s as important as brushing your teeth. Even 30 seconds of play breaks tension and re-centers you.”
Ready to get started?

Get out of the rut. Do things differently, whether it’s experimenting with a tried-and-true recipe or taking a different route home from work. You’re injecting play into your daily routine.

Become mindful. When you engage in an activity like walking around the neighborhood, be aware of the wind in your hair, or how your body is moving.

Take a new class such as tennis, ceramics, story writing or yoga—something you’ve always wanted to do.

Read. “A good book stirs up memories and totally immerses you,” Godbout says.

Hang out with a child. They’re the best teachers of how to play and be present in the moment.

Want to Know More about Communities on the Move, a program that encourages you and your neighbors to have fun getting active? Call 610-402-CARE or click here.

Published from Healthy You Magazine May-June 2007

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