End Of Year Wisdom
I received a wonderful ‘end-of-year’ letter from Adam Clark – one of my early Project Adventure buddies who now lives in Japan, and inspires me no end - and I was struck by this little gem he added – I figured you’d like it too:
LIFE IS LIKE A GAME,
SO REMEMBER TO PLAY
So true.
Have you played today?
Happy holidays everyone, and thanks for all of your support during the year.
Have FUNN, Mark
What Is Play?
Hey, I’ve been thinking, and sharing and doing some more thinking about this lately…
… just what is the true essence of PLAY?
I’ve come to the conclusion that play is not an activity (which is where most people’s minds go when they think of the word), rather … I’m beginning to view it is a state of mind.
When you “play” – truly play – you can not pretend. You are who are, and you behave and react and simply “be” who you truly are.
So, when I invite my group “to play” at the start of a program, I’m inviting them to consider what they will bring to the activity, the session, the program. And what they bring will make all the difference.
If they choose to play, then I can expect an extraordinary result because the group will be free of any pretense and will be prepared to deal with the “what is” and get to work on what they want to achieve together. Rather than deal with the crap most individuals carry with them into a group experience.
To me, play is not a game, it’s a state of mind, a place to “be.”
What do you think?
If you have a thought to share about play, click this link to leave a comment here. I’m all ears…
A New Wordle
If you’ve been to one of my workshops, you’ll know that I love puzzles, and one of my favourites is Wordles - you know, those absorbing cryptic word puzzles that come with a hidden word or phrase. Such as:
R | E | A | D | I | N | G
… which is the wordle for Reading Between The Lines.
These fun brain-teasers are ideal for inspiring creative thinking, not to mention, filling in a few idle minutes. Or, do as I do, present them while you’re waiting for people to turn up – it’s a great way to keep people busy and interacting.
Here’s one that stumped me recently, which hard core Wordle lovers may also find challenging:
CY CY
Hover your cursor here for the answer, but only after you’ve thunk for a while!
If you love these clever little puzzles, take a look at ‘Count Me In’ in which you’ll find dozens and dozens of them at the back of the book.
Do you know any new Wordles to share? If so, please leave a comment here…
Serious Play
Hi folks,
If you have ever thought (or hoped) that there was a connection between play and someone’s well-being, then you’ll love what I’m about to share with you.
The book ‘Play‘ by Dr Stuart Brown speaks directly to the connection between the critical importance of play and people’s well-being. As I’ve often wondered, Dr Brown’s research confirms that a state of play (as defined below) triggers the brain to embrace learning more effectively than most other tools.
You can listen to Dr Brown speaking at a conference here.
You can learn more about his book here.
Properties of Play (pages 17-18) – that is, what is it, distinct from other activity?
- Apparently purposeless – done for it’s own sake.
- Voluntary – the player deternimes their own level of participation, if any.
- Inherent attraction – as I say, fun is pretty hard to stand away from.
- Freedom from time – ever notice that when you’re fully engaged in something you like to do, time flies?
- Diminished consciousness of self – the focus is always on the doing, not on the who.
- Improvisational potential – rules rarely matter, and when used they are easily changed.
- Continuation desire – you wish you could play forever.
One of the most important things Dr Brown has to say is…
“Play is a state of mind, rather than an activity. Remember the definition of play: an absorbing, apparently purposeless activity that provides enjoyment and a suspension of self-consciousness and sense of time. It is also self motivating and makes you want to do it again. We have to put ourselves in the proper emotional state to play.” (page 61)
This is SO true.
Play has little to do with the activity, and everything to do with what you bring to it. Geez, even washing the dishes could be considered play, IF you prepare a playful emotional state of play to it!! I believe this understanding could have an ENORMOUS impact on our curriculum, and in particular, the manner in which we teach it!!
Dr Brown has many controversial things to say, such as:
- There is a strong connection between a person’s ability to use their hands (at play) and their ability to solve problems;
- Social skills and intelligence is strongly related to a person’s propensity to play.
- The opposite of play is not work, rather it is depression!!
- The basis of human trust is established through human play signals.
What do you think? – leave a comment below…
I think he’s right on the money, and makes me even more passionate than ever to inspire people to integrate a sense of play into their curriculum / programs.
In conclusion, what does this all mean to you and me? Here’s what Dr Brown suggests (pages 206-216):
- Study your play history.
- Expose yourself to play.
- Give yourself permission to be playful, to be a beginner.
- Fun is your North Star, but you don’t always have to head north.
- Be active.
- Free yourself of your fears.
- Nourish your mode of play, and be with people who nourish it, too.
Have FUNN!
2010 Workshop Calendar Announced
Hi folks,
Good News – my 2010 Public Enrolment Workshops dates are now out!
NEW for this year is the Advanced Facilitation Skills workshop – two awesome days designed for a maximum of 12 people to try out their stuff and receive feedback on their programming, processing and facilitation skills. I promise you, this will be THE MOST significant learning experience that you’ll ever be a part of that WILL enhance your leadership skills. Space is limited, so sign up now.
See you soon, Mark
Welcome to Inspire’s NEW Blog
Hi folks! 
This blog has just been set up, with its sole AIM – to promote discussion, sharing and learning about anything to do with group activities, facilitation and programming ideas.
Watch this space for TONS of great ideas that will keep your groups interacting and having FUNN in your programs. Free activities, videos, tutorials, etc and naturally LOTS of chatting and sharing.
If you’ve got an idea, please add a comment!
You’ll see me on here all the time, so I’m all ears…
have FUNN, Mark
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Who am I?
Hi, I'm Mark Collard.
This blog shares some of the most successful group games, team-building activities & programming tips I know.
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