Do adults really play?

Last week Eureka! bore a striking resemblance to the Marie Celeste! The snow and ice kept most visitors safely in their homes and only a few intrepid souls turned up; there were times when the galleries were completely empty. I looked out at the snowy landscape and my attention was grabbed by a sight that proved that at least someone was having fun in the snow. There were two of them, running around throwing snowballs at each other and then they lay down in the snow and made ‘snow angels’. That’s the great thing about working at a children’s museum – children are so good at throwing themselves completely into play at any time. The even better thing is that you don’t need to be a child – the two people I was watching were both Eureka! staff.

I remember attending a training session where a play specialist made the statement that adults “don’t really play”. My immediate thought was “come and spend a bit of time here and see if you still believe that”. My opinion was reinforced a bit later when we were sent off into the galleries to do ‘a task’. It was night time so there were lots of dark nooks and crannies around. I can’t remember exactly what the task was but I do remember lots of laughter as the irresistible opportunity to hide and jump out at people was taken up by many of us non-children. In the words of Garry Landreth:

“Play is a fun, enjoyable activity that elevates our spirits and brightens our outlook on life. It expands self-expression, self-knowledge, self-actualization and self-efficacy. Play relieves feelings of stress and boredom, connects us to people in a positive way, stimulates creative thinking and exploration, regulates our emotions, and boosts our ego”

When I read that I realise that the staff here that interact with the children are lucky, as we are given lots of opportunity to play (most mornings we start the day with a game – even before any visitors arrive). So, in conclusion, it seems clear to me that not only can adults play but, in my opinion, they should. To come back to that quote from GB Shaw; which is displayed in our entrance foyer:

“We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.”