PLAYTIME! Original, Offline Games for the Family

A course for parents of children aged 6-13 years. This course is intended for both parents to join as a couple...

Why Play?

“It is paradoxical that many educators and parents still differentiate between a time for learning and a time for play, without seeing the vital connection between them.” -Leo F. Buscaglia [Author, motivational speaker and a professor in the Department of Special Education at the University of Southern California.]

As we grow up, how often is it that we get off our cycle of ‘do do do’ and simply ‘play play play’? Play is believed to be too trivial, too childish, too silly, too discardable, too unimportant. Children are routinely told to ‘Stop playing!’ and finish their homework, their meal, or whatever it is the parents want them to do at that time. Work is glorified and put on a pedestal, play is looked down upon and squashed with the toe of a hobnailed boot. Yet a person no less than Albert Einstein said that "Play is the highest form of research". All creativity stems from pure play.

PLAYTIME !

If there is one thing COVID-19 has taught us, it is the importance of the ability to adapt quickly in multiple ways. Irrespective of age, the ability to adapt is the foremost skill we all need to have. PLAYTIME games encourage people of all ages to hone this skill in an enjoyable way.

These games were developed experientially by our facilitator in lockdown times, necessarily keeping the constraints of space and restricted movement in mind. They give you an opportunity to peep into your child’s mind. When studies were offline, children were allowed to play games online. Now with online classes, there is an even greater need for children to engage in offline activities. But to engage the children’s attention and enthusiasm, one needs games which tickle their creativity and challenge their intellect, while taking into account the reduced attention spans. 

The course introduces ten such games.

The games are simple in structure and require no prior instruction or learning. They can be easily played by individuals of all ages and can be paused and continued according to the time available. They don’t demand a monetary investment in any equipment or material and can be played with everyday objects. For all their simplicity and ease of playing, the games are hugely beneficial in multiple ways. Designed to develop adaptability, innovativeness and creativity, they expand the imagination and develop valuable skills like original thought and expression. The games are great de-stressors, taking one’s mind away from anxiety about the uncertain times, and letting one create make-believe situations which we have been unable to experience these last few months. They provide a window of downtime in a demanding and often exhausting schedule, and give family members an opportunity to drop their roles and spend a slice of relaxed fun time. A Q&A session at the end solidifies learning about using play as an approach.