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Gray, P. (2008, November 19). The Value of Play I: The Definition of Play Gives Insights. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/freedom-learn/200811/the-value-play-i-the-definition-play-gives-insights

The Importance of PLAY in adulthood and childhood | Yolonda Tyler | TEDxBoggyCreek. (n.d.). Www.youtube.com. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSx_csPHE0c&t=10s

News, M. (n.d.). Why Do Animals Play? The Science Behind Play Behavior. Mirage News. Retrieved February 24, 2024, from https://www.miragenews.com/why-do-animals-play-the-science-behind-play-

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I was sitting at home on the sofa watching tv when my cat came and sat near me then she went on the back and sniffed my hair and then rubbed her face on my head. She then came back on my side and sat next to me playfully touching my arm with her paws. I extended my hand to her and she started playing with my hand taking it in her mouth and biting gently. the she hopped off the sofa and went on the mat I got her toy fish on the string and showed it to her. she came and pounced on the fish playfully.

The prevalence and variety of play behavior across so many different species suggest that it could have significant evolutionary importance. It's a complex and vital aspect of many animals' lives, contributing to their physical, social, and cognitive development. (News, n.d.)

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I observed my Dad in the garage doing woodwork. This was play for him as he enjoyed doing it. He experimented with cutting the wood with saw and then designed his own hanging plant pot. He used tree branch sticks as the hanging part.

Play is, first and foremost, an expression of freedom. It is what one wants to do as opposed to what one is obliged to do. The joy of play is the ecstatic feeling of liberty. Play is not always accompanied by smiles and laughter, nor are smiles and laughter always signs of play; but play is always accompanied by a feeling of “Yes, this is what I want to do right now.”

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When I went to the beach with my children they were playing in the sand. I observed them making circles with their fingers in the sand. Then I observed them make a little hill inside the circle. They continued for a long time playing in the sand using their imagination. When I asked what they made they explained to me that they made a castle with a moat and the pathway to the moat. They made a city around the castle.

“They were equal. Enjoying a simple moment of play. They were equally engaged. No one was in control of the play. It happened naturally” (The Importance of PLAY in Adulthood and Childhood | Yolonda Tyler | TEDxBoggyCreek, n.d.)

Play is a means by which children develop their physical, intellectual, emotional, social, and moral capacities. It is a means of creating and preserving friendships. It also provides a state of mind that, in adults as well as children, is uniquely suited for high-level reasoning, insightful problem solving, and all sorts of creative endeavors. (Gray, 2008)

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Today when I picked up my 5 year old from his school, we were walking back to the car when I observed that my son went on the big grass curved steps. He walked up from one side of the step and then he turned on the top step on the concrete edging and started walking towards the opposite side. on his way he spotted a tree branch stick and I saw him stop and bend down to pick it up. He started to gently tap it on the concrete edging and continued to follow the narrow concrete path. On his way whenever he was about to get off balance, he would quickly hold himself up with the help of the stick.

“In play the child’s mental concept dominates, and the child moulds available elements of the physical world to meet that concept.” (Gray, 2008)