{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"<iframe src=\"https://embed.acast.com/$/66e198347fb05edbd0d09ae1/6a463abaa736775b2609b150?\" frameBorder=\"0\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\"></iframe>","title":"Why is play so important (and not just for children)?","description":"<p>✨ <strong>Today's magic moment features our new </strong><a href=\"https://www.thoughtboxeducation.com/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>ThoughtBox website </strong></a>✨</p><p><br></p><p>Play is not just for children; it is an essential adult survival tool. And yet we find ourselves living in so many cultures where play is being eroded from childhood and is virtually non-existent amongst adults. Beyond the core developmental qualities that play enables in children, engaging in recreational activities that bring joy lowers stress, triggers mood-boosting endorphins, fuels creativity, and strengthens relationships by building trust and empathy. Play also reminds us of the vitality of life and offers a more generative way of living. So why is it that play has disappeared and how can we welcome it back into our lives and communities?</p><p><br></p><p>In this episode we reference the following:</p><p><br></p><ul><li><a href=\"https://www.dirtisgood.com/home.html\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Dirt is Good campaign</a> (website)</li><li><a href=\"https://www.themarginalian.org/2025/03/27/homo-ludens-johan-huizinga/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">How play made us and keeps us human -</a>Maria Popov (article)</li><li><a href=\"https://outdoorplayandlearning.org.uk/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">OPAL- Outdoor Play and Learning</a> - organisation (website)</li><li><a href=\"https://st-ebbes.oxon.sch.uk/childrens-wellbeing-2/playtime-at-st-ebbes/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Play based learning at St Ebbe's Primary, Oxford</a> (website page)</li><li><a href=\"https://open.spotify.com/episode/2qkzlp9uB0TXBRW6wAhd1Q?si=abc129dcc597406b&amp;nd=1&amp;dlsi=e831712e5ee34dea\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">How play boosts creativity and resilience</a> - Katina Bajaj (TedTalk Podcast)</li><li><a href=\"https://mindfulspark.org/2025/02/10/rediscovering-play-the-surprising-power-of-unstructured-fun-in-adult-life/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Rediscovering Play </a>- Mindful Spark (blogpost)</li><li><a href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJaAegok8L4\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Play Based Learning with Dr Peter Gray</a> (video)</li></ul><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><h3><strong>There's an inconvenient movement growing...</strong></h3><p>It's not rebellion, exactly. More of a quiet refusal to look away. We're&nbsp;inconvenient. And if you feel it, then maybe you are too. Join us.</p><p><a href=\"https://thoughtboxeducation.com/the-inconvenient-club\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"><em>Join The Inconvenient Club</em></a><em> from £5 a month. Find out more at </em><a href=\"http://www.thoughtboxeducation.com/the-inconvenient-club\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">www.thoughtboxeducation.com/the-inconvenient-club</a></p>","author_name":"ThoughtBox Education"}