A magician’s fingers dance across a deck of cards, gasps of astonishment from an audience entranced by the impossible. For a moment, the boundaries between ages and professions blur, replaced by a shared sense of wonder and happiness. This scene captures the very essence of play, a powerful force that can bring back those childhood moments of pure joy. That feeling of losing oneself in a world of pure possibility is the heart of play: a state of mind that can change our lives at any age.

According to the Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center, Jean Piaget believed children learn by actively engaging in their environment. He created four stages of child development: the Sensorimotor stage, the Preoperational stage, the Concrete operational stage, and the Formal operational stage. These stages developed modern-day psychology about the concept of play, and his work has benefitted many systems of education and leisure.

“Every play is good for something, whether it is playing the knight or the villain, or the witch and so on. In their own fantasy, a child can solve their problems through play,” said Theresa Appelman, a Dutch Play Therapist who works closely with troubled children.

Three friends erupt in laughter after they find an Amazon Luna van giving away prizes to people who win a game of Fortnite. (Nicolaas Foks)

The question of “What is play?” does not have a straightforward answer. 

“Play is a daily part of life; play can occur at any part of your day. It can occur during work. Play is not a time. Play is more of a state of mind. Playful is probably the more accurate term,” said Jim Kelly, the Carlmont Associated Student Body (ASB) advisor and activities director.

A pioneer in research on play, Stuart Brown, spoke about the importance of play in a TED talk titled “Play is more than just fun.” He notes that there is no one defined way of thinking about play, so nobody truly understands play. However, there are ways to think about play that can help one better understand it.

From ages 10 to 12, children become more flexible in their thinking and develop self-awareness and an ability to understand others’ feelings. During these middle school years, one’s self-identity forms and differs from the rest. 

These impacts can last a lifetime. Deborah Blackwell is a PE teacher who has taught physical education for 22 years at Ralston Middle School. Blackwell has also coached numerous sports, including volleyball, basketball, and track and field.

“The students love the Ralston Olympics. We place them on mixed grade level teams, and they compete in various activities and sports,” Blackwell said.

People learn best from joyful experiences that meaningfully connect the play to their lives, are actively engaging, and are socially interactive, according to Learning Through Play. The Ralston Olympics provides students with a set of challenges that they must overcome to win. These activities include volleyball, basketball, relay races, and unique games that challenge physical and mental coordination skills.

“The most rewarding moments for me are when former students return to visit and tell me about their fitness journey. They used to hate running and exercise, but now they have caught the fitness bug,” Blackwell said.

After taking advantage of the opportunity to play, students continue to do so even as alumni of Ralston.

“Play is a distinct and important factor in our lives and doings. Play is a part of every culture in the world. Time to play has always been and will always be held in the highest regard. And that’s not just with humans. Animals also love to play and prefer that to almost any other activity, even eating. When my dogs have the choice of a walk or dinner, they choose the walk every time. Indeed, play is distinct and important in many species,” Kelly said.

The National Library of Medicine conducted studies on rats to learn the neurobiology of play. Their research considered that play can be incredibly diverse for some species, such as humans, ranging from solitary imaginative play to highly energetic rough-and-tumble social play. When the rats were deprived of play during their juvenile years, they were impaired socially and cognitively as adults. Humans function the same way.

“I try to understand why they are angry. Maybe it is for a good reason, but they cannot fight or beat someone for that reason. When playing, they can express their anger by ‘killing the tiger,’ putting someone in jail, burning paper, making a loud noise, or doing whatever they want. They may not hurt themselves or me, but in a symbolic way, they can express why they are angry,” Appelman said. 

According to Appelman, the core principle of play therapy is being free to play whatever you want in a safe place. Free means no judgment with no bias. It is safe and manageable for everyone. If a “fire” becomes too big, the therapist must stop it with a “bucket of water.”

According to Pew Research, 79% of adults who played sports say that doing so positively impacted their confidence or self-esteem.

“Adults play sometimes, like active art and sport. Adults watch movies, go to concerts, and sing songs. They belong to a special sports team. Or they become an artist or famous sporter,” Appelman said. “Watching football, making music, playing games, these are all fun. They can also express their feelings safely.”

Active play is not limited to just arts and sports. Hobbies are a great way to become involved with play.

David Nelson’s, an Apple Software Engineer, interest in magic began during his childhood when it provided a sense of control. Unlike most people who eventually lost interest, he continued pursuing magic because of positive feedback and mentorship from friends who were also magicians.

“I got a certain skill level and became reasonably good, which became my part-time job. Most people would work at a fast food restaurant. I started doing shows, and it just became this thing to make money,” Nelson said.

A once highly playful activity Nelson could do in his free time became time-consuming and dicey.

“The weird thing is when it changed. In the beginning, I took this thing that I love to do, and I just wanted to share it with people and give them the same feeling that I got. Then, it started being something I had to do to earn a living. The type of shows I took and the material I did were not as satisfying or enjoyable to me as they had been. I got a little burned out,” Nelson said.

However, after this point, he does not stop doing magic. Throughout college, he still worked as a magician, but once he got his first professional job, he could take a step back from the limelight and commit to fewer performances.

“I stopped doing paid shows, and then I was able to shift back and do just the stuff that I enjoy,” Nelson said, “And at that point, really, I almost should have stopped, but I had long-term friendships who were magicians. I still loved it when you were in the right situation, pulling out, performing something for someone, and giving them that experience. That moment where they are in astonishment. When they’re like, ‘Wow, I have seen something that feels impossible and is sort of unique.’”

Magic is a unique hobby, according to Nelson. It can help people who are stuck in hard places, it can provide fun for everybody, and it can even make the magicians themselves happy.

“It’s not an experience you get very often. It makes people feel a little. It’s reminiscent of their childhood and makes them feel that sense of wonder. So, I still do that. I still have friends. And then I kept with it because I could help other people through magic, sometimes by donating my time and doing magic for kids in not-so-great situations and giving them a few minutes of diversion. Other times, I helped mentor and teach people who wanted to learn how to do magic,” Nelson said.

For Nelson, when he first started magic as a juvenile, it was a hobby that he found fun. Eventually, he got good enough to be paid, but that took the fun out of magic. Once he took a step back, he could enjoy it again.

“There is a connection when you do something for someone else, and they experience this sense of wonder. This feeling is when they have seen something that is not possible. It comes back at you when they allow themselves to feel it. It is a little bit like a hug. I can’t watch a magician perform an experience the same way a normal person can now, but I can experience it vicariously through someone who sees magic for the first time. When I get the right audience members, and they really allow themselves to experience the magic, I feel the same way they do — the joy, the surprise, the laughter, and all of that. I guess what I’m doing is selfish. It allows me to experience the stuff that I fell in love with when I was a kid,” Nelson said.

How can adults who want to start new hobbies start?

“I would start slow. Often, people start a fitness program that is too difficult. They are less likely to stick to it. Also, don’t be afraid to fail. Failure creates change, and you can grow from it,” Blackwell said. 

According to VeryWellMind, fear of failing can be derived from low self-esteem, poor motivation, self-sabotage, and shame. 

“For any hobby, you want to seek out people who are better than you and surround yourself with them. Often, they will help you. They will inspire you,” Nelson said

Frequently, humans worry about not being good enough or making mistakes because of the fear of failure. Being surrounded by supportive people, whether it’s experienced mentors, encouraging friends, or even family, can make all the difference. They can offer guidance, share their experiences, and provide a safe space to learn and grow. This support system can help overcome those initial anxieties and enjoy discovering something new.

“My favorite experiences in sports are similar to those of my students because it is all about building confidence in something. You are more likely to do something if you feel confident doing it,” Blackwell said.

Having a support group that one is comfortable with will simultaneously increase one’s confidence. This can be seen in Nelson’s story. He built some of his friendships through magic, and they have withstood the test of time.

“People who do sports will reference a flow state. I feel a flow state when I’m skateboarding, snowboarding, or surfing. I also feel it when I am in the process of performing a well-rehearsed, polished piece of magic that I’ve worked on,” Nelson said.

Kelly stated that play is a state of mind. It can make people happy and reduce stress. Much like a flow state, being playful can happen anytime, especially at work. However, many adults fall into a state of mind that Kelly calls “Grownupery” due to lacking a better term.

“Grown-up-ery is both a feeling and a group dynamic. It is a specific set of expectations that leaders bring to an activity. Grownupery is very closely associated with and exists mostly because of organization and risk management,” Kelly said, “Grownupery has positive and negative effects. Grownupery can make someone aware of unacceptable risks or hazards. But it can also reduce the level of fun and silliness that many of us love in our play activities. Grownupery attempts to increase productivity but often has the inverse effect.”

This concept of “Grownupery” discourages many people from taking the risks of starting a new hobby or enjoying a playful state of mind. It can dilute one’s mindset into a sense of complete control. 

“It feels like the reason why children like magic is because at a time when we don’t have complete control over our lives, it gives us this feeling of control. Then, most people grow out of it. And so the real question, the real interesting question, is, why didn’t I? And a big part of that was that I got a lot of positive feedback,” Nelson said.