Be glad of life because it gives you the chance to love and to work and to play and to look up at the stars.
I IN PRAISE OF PLAYING.doc Anna Newell
Seriously Considering Play.docIt is somewhat surprising that one of the most fundamental and important concepts of human interaction [play] has received so little attention by our field. The extensive research on play with children and adults in anthropology, psychology, and education indicates that play is an important mediator for learning and socialization throughout life. Play is a difficult concept to define. Play appears to be one of those constructs that is obvious at the tacit level but extremely difficult to articulate in concrete terms - we all know it when we see it or experience it. Its definition can also be culturally and politically constrained. Nevertheless, play is generally defined as having the following four attributes: 1) it is usually voluntary; 2) it is intrinsically motivating, that is, it is pleasurable for its own sake and is not dependent on external rewards; 3) it involves some level of active, often physical, engagement; and 4) it is distinct from other behavior by having a make-believe quality.
Play can provide a context which allows fopr the cognitive and creative freedoms associated with open-ended experimentation. Pleasure, play, participation and promise Angela Thomas