3 C's of Play

As a self proclaimed playologist, one of my favorite things to speak about... is play! We have gotten so caught up in our work life, that we have forgotten to play. This is causing out bodies, our families and our mental health to suffer as we are in work mode way more than we are in relaxation mode. Let's change that. Focusing on play allows us to be mindful and decrease our stress. I like to define play using 3 C's. Community, Creativity and Cognitive Development.

1. Community

From the moment we began to play we started to build a community. Play helps us shape and create the social interactions that we will begin to imagine for ourselves for years to come. One of the first ways we begin to build the foundation of community is very easy…it’s learning names ! This first step may seem simple but it has the ability to increase social skills. What you call networking, I call creating community!

2. Creativity

Play produces some of the most interesting ideas and concepts.However simplistic it seems to you, there is an entire complex symphony that can happen in your universe as you play. When we use our imagination during play we learn empathy, how to regulate our emotions and how to problem solve. People are naturally creative! Play is natural, creativity is play!

3. Cognitive Development

Cognitive development skills involve the progressive building of things such as attention memory and thinking. Although some cognitive skills are related to our genetic makeup, most cognitive skills can be learned. Thinking and learning can be improved with practice and the right training! When choosing to learn more, it is important to learn about things that excite you.

Play shapes perspective on our community. It helps foster creativity, and

play connects our cognitive development with our emotions. I hope that after reading you are able to remember the importance of play in your daily life.