Transitions and Play–February 16, 2017
Transitions and Play
Last newsletter I mentioned an adventure Becki and I had that involved ping pong. There is so much more to reflect and share!
In the midst of our ping-pong game, Becki and I paused to marvel at how much fun we were having! The joy of unexpected, pure, and simple fun. Laughing at ourselves when balls bounced in places they shouldn’t and glowing with pride when our volley count made it to 65!
There are so many benefits to play in general and ping-pong specifically. Read on for more.
Ping-Pong and The Benefits of Play
Becki and I entered a place barely visible from street level and descended into a den filled with all ages having amazing, G-rated fun!
Here are some insights from our ping-pong adventure:
- Multi-generational activity: A boy and his grandparent were playing next to us. We saw all ages represented.
- Flexible group sizes accommodated: We were just two, but saw groups up to eight playing by rotating in/out.
- Visual-motor skill accommodative: I have no depth perception and was able to play with minimal whiffs. We observed people who could play with minimal movement. The game is highly adaptable on the skill level.
- Promotes social problem solving: We made up our own rules and others we observed did too. The athletic guys next to us realized they had to stop killing it if they wanted to have fun as a group.
- Cardiovascular exercise: Surprise set in as we began sweating after about 10 minutes of play. As simple as ping-pong is, playing still gets your heart rate up!
In general, play has real benefits for children and adults alike. This publication from the American Academy of Pediatrics highlights many of the behavioral and cognitive skills built through interactive play.
Game on!