Play@TED: How creative play makes us more creative, braver and happier
Lauren von Stackelberg, our VP, Head of Social Responsibility, shares her top five takeouts from Play@TED.
As part of a partnership between TED, the LEGO Group and the LEGO Foundation to help transform how we think about play, we welcomed some truly inspirational speakers to the stage in New York yesterday for Play@TED. They reminded me that with play, anything is possible.
From scientists and athletes to game designers and children, the speakers shared amazing reflections on the power of play from their lives and careers.
While their experiences spanned very different worlds, there was one unifying message: that creative play has the power to transform lives, for children and adults alike.
“There’s a beauty in balancing seriousness with play.” - MAXWELL PEARCE
Professional sport is a serious business. But for Harlem Globetrotter and artist Maxwell Pearce, basketball could sometimes feel too serious, with coaches lecturing him about respecting the game. But for Maxwell, his playfulness was his strength. It helped him push boundaries, improvise and express himself both on and off the court. It’s the same in business, sport or art, he said: playing, and breaking free of established ways of doing things, is how we evolve.
“Play is a lifelong human trait. Which means no matter how invisible it might feel, we can restore it.” - KATINA BAJAJ
Clinical psychologist Katina Bajaj promotes creativity as a cornerstone of adult health and wellbeing. Through her research, Katina has spoken to thousands of adults who say they don’t have time to play, without realizing that it’s the best antidote to stress and burnout. Her message to reluctant or self-conscious grown-ups: embrace play whenever you can – at work, before bedtime, even walking down the street – and you’ll reconnect with a vital and restorative aspect of human nature.
“Play isn’t an escape from real life. It’s a way into it.” - MILA ROJAS
The experience of fifth grader Mila Rojas is something many children can probably relate to. On a recent family trip to a waterpark, her dad was carefree, relaxed and completely himself, Mila said; but after returning to work he was stressed, miserable, and too busy to play. This can’t be right, Mila said. For adults, playing isn’t a waste of time; it’s essential to their family’s wellbeing.
“When you see players not just playing in the system, but playing with the system, bending and breaking rules, that’s when we know we’ve really got something.” - ERIC ZIMMERMAN
Rules. What could be more boring, and less playful? But all games need rules in order to make sense, and for game designers like Eric Zimmerman rules are the framework within which play can happen. The best games allow players not only to play within the system, but to play with the system, Eric said. To test the constraints, push against them, and find creative ways to move forwards. That point of balance between order and play, he said, is where the magic happens. To thrive, we need both.
“Our first intuition is to say no, or maybe later. But before you rush to respond, try asking yourself: Why not?” - ANNA RAINIO
As an expert on children’s agency in education, Anna Rainio champions “Playworlds”, a creative approach where children and teachers play together in an unstructured way centered on a particular story or artwork. There’s no right or wrong. It’s a forum where the adults, instead of shutting down some of the kids’ quirkier suggestions, can simply say, ‘Sure, why not?’ And when they do, Anna said, the results can be wonderful.
I left the Play@TED livestreams feeling inspired to integrate more play into my own family routine as an important way to stay curious, creative and connected. The speakers really brought home that when I spend time playing with my 3-year-old son it isn’t just good for him – it’s good for me, too.
In my role, I see the impact play makes every day, but if I ever needed a reminder, the speakers gave me one. Perhaps the most important question we can ask ourselves isn’t whether we have time for play, but how we can make more room for it.
The Play@TED partnership between TED, the LEGO Group and the LEGO Foundation is aimed at inspiring a global movement to transform how we think about play. Play@TED is part of the LEGO Group’s annual World Play Day celebration of the power of play, in support of the UN's International Day of Play on 11 June. This year, the celebrations will encourage families to Never Stop Playing.