with

Mike Bellah

"Play may be as important to life--for us and for other animals--as sleeping and dreaming."---Stuart Brown

When was the last time you played peek-a-boo with a toddler, or hide-and-seek with a four-year-old?

"Joy is the serious business of heaven,"---C. S. Lewis

"Adults and young, alone and together, mammals and many birds play--but why?" asks physician and naturalist Stuart Brown. In an article in "National Geographic" Brown answers his own question. "Play may be as important to life--for us and for other animals--as sleeping and dreaming."

Brown goes on to say that play helps animals become adept at hunting and winning mates. For humans, lack of play can lead to antisocial behavior. He cites a study of 26 convicted murderers in Texas where 90 percent of them showed either the absence of or abnormal play as children. "Play is an important part of a healthy, happy childhood, and playful adults are often highly creative, even brilliant individuals," says Brown.

I don't know about creative and brilliant, but I have observed first-hand that midlifers who play have more fun. But this should come as no surprise: fun is what play is. "I think of play as spontaneous behavior that has no clear-cut goal and does not conform to a stereotypic pattern," explains Brown. "To me, the purpose of play is simply play itself; it appears to be pleasurable."

Unfortunately, while play seems to come naturally to children and puppies, adults can forget how. So following are some ideas to help get us started.

If you want to learn golf, you go to a golf pro; so if you want to learn to play, why not also go to the experts: kids. You won't have a hard time finding volunteers; children love for adults to play with them. When was the last time you played peek-a-boo with a toddler, or hide-and-seek with a four-year-old? Or we can let the kids make up the game. Just be careful; a group of seven-year-olds might want you to be the dragon they slay in their pretend fairy tale. You might want to make sure their weapons are equally pretend.

One of our favorite games as children was "let's pretend." You know--"let's pretend I'm the sheriff and you're the bad man and I catch you because my horse is faster than Trigger and I have a gun like the Rifleman's and . . . ." The problem is adults can't play "let's pretend" games. They will lock you up if you do--unless, of course, you are a writer.

Writers get to make up stories all the time. Some even get paid for it. So give it a try; write a short story. You might use a story line from your childhood fantasies. Or enter a world you have imagined visiting as an adult. Need help? Most colleges offer courses in creative writing.

Dr. Brown says that play should be spontaneous. That's why few adults do it well--we plan too much; we don't leave room for surprises. How about kidnapping your spouse from work some Friday afternoon and taking him or her to a surprise destination for the weekend? Or surprise a friend with an "unbirthday party." Or take a walk or drive without planning your destination. 

"Joy is the serious business of heaven," writes philosopher-theologian C. S. Lewis. Children realize the importance of play; so do animals; Lewis says that angels do. It's time we adults do too--let's play!