Just Play

To start off class today we did a game activity called “play”. We moved all the chairs to the side of the room and sat on the floor with partners.  With a parents we played a bunch of hand games including rock paper scissor shoot, thumb wars, and the game when you slap each others hands.  We played those games for about minutes or so, and then with our partners had to come up with our on hand game.  My partner and I came up with a more difficult version of rock paper scissor.  The rules were you started off playing the original version and who ever lost had to pick a number between one and five.  You then played the game with the numbers one through five.  The basic concept of our game was to try and come up with combinations to always win.  It was a little confusing and somewhat worked out in the end.
The activity we played today came from interview we read with Kevin Carroll.  Kevin Carroll was all about play.  He believed that playing would make people more creative and relaxed.  After playing the hand games it really got your mind thinking on how to make up your own game.  It was much easier to think of a game because you were already relaxed.  One of the suggestions that was made during class was to try one of these hand games before you take a test.  I know I go into tests feeling nervous and stressed.  I think if I played a hand game before a test it would help relax me, and make me laugh.  Hand games are a good way to get your mind off something.  You’re so focused on the game that you forget about everything else.  The hand games are also a lot of fun.  It reminded me of when I was a little kid and was bored.
We also watched a video of a man who thought that everyone should play.  He started off showing a picture of the cover of the New York Times.  The picture was a bunch of little kids playing around.  He then said that kids not only need to play, but adults do also.  He then showed another picture of a polar bear and a husky.  At first it looked like the polar bear wanted to fight the husky, but the husky was in play mode and wagging its’ tail.  The polar bear saw that the husky wanted to play and instead of fighting, the polar bear and the husky started to play.  I thought that was really amazing just by the husky wanting to play, it completely changed the polar bears mind about wanting to fight.  I think everyone should try and take a little time out of their schedule and play.  Whether it be a hand game, a board game, or just having fun.  It would really help relax and lower and stress.