Playgrounding

For some of us adults, the kind of play we remember as kids doesn’t exist anymore in many communities across America. It’s a specific kind of play called “free play.” When I was a kid, I remember running out into the neighborhood after school. I organically discovered and teamed up with the kids that lived nearby even if they were older or younger than me, girls or boys. We came together to play, to find things and make stuff. We had fights and made up. We made up games, put on performances, played pretend and dress-up. So what’s so important about this kind of play? And what does it mean for kids who don’t get to experience it? What about us adults? Is something really missing from our lives? That’s what we’re going to dig into today with my new friend and our guest, Pat Rumbaugh, a.k.a. “The Play Lady.” Pat Rumbaugh is co-founder of Let’s Play America and is affectionately known by many as The Play Lady. She founded the organization TakomaPlays! in Takoma Park, Maryland, in March 2009. TakomaPlays! is now p

Lack of play is a serious problem for us humans. Play geeks like me call it “play suppression.” In the worst cases, studies have shown that children who are kept from playing by their parents tend to have a hard time learning to relate to others and deal with their violent tendencies, leading to some of history’s saddest violent acts. Even those of us who did play as children but gave it up in adulthood suffer the effects of play suppression. One study that has sparked my interest in relation to this topic is called the Rat Park study. That’s why I’ve been looking forward to this conversation with Stuart McMillen for so long. Stuart McMillen is a cartoonist based in Canberra, Australia. Stuart draws long-form comics inspired by social issues involving science, ecology, sustainability, psychology and economics. His comics are currently translated into 9 languages, with the help of an enthusiastic international team of volunteers. In the podcast, Stuart refers to his work as science communication comics. He tak

Have you ever started a passion project only to find it suddenly feels like work? And not the fulfilling kind of work either – just plain, to-do list work. It’s not easy to rediscover the spark that led you to start your project, but one way to achieve that is to revisit the reasons we got started in the first place. Maybe you’ve changed and grown? If the project hasn’t grown with you, maybe it’s not the right project for you anymore? Or maybe our discomfort with it is a growing pain – maybe it’s time to start thinking about how your project can change and grow as you do. In this episode you’ll meet Chris Kim, the podcaster responsible for the awesome storytelling show about the great city of Las Vegas called Faces and Aces. Their show is “our love letter to the city and the people who work in it.” I was just recently interviewed for his show which sparked a larger conversation offline about this very topic - so I asked him if we could share that conversation on here on the PlayGrounding Podcast.  Chris and I

He hasn’t been on vacation in years, but if he did, he’d miss what he does every day too much. There’s still so much to create. Bruce Gray is a prolific artist whose work has been exhibited worldwide, has appeared in over 45 books and countless times on television, in movies, and in the press. And yes, that was his magnetic sculpture you saw in Doctor Evil’s lair from the movie, Austin Powers (One of my personal favorites). Being in his shop is like a trip down the rabbit hole with giant robots, metal paper planes, alligator tables and giant pieces of cheese. And that’s just the start. Before he took the plunge and became the artist he is today, Bruce had some fascinating adventures such as a stint in the military serving in the isolated, hauntingly beautiful Aleutian Islands. Each step he took brought him closer to realizing that his true calling was to become that kid in shop class who gets to dream big, take chances and build amazing things with his hands.  Bruce works in a wide range of styles and mediums

Kids love to play make-believe. When we talk about bringing back play as adults, this one seems like a stretch. Adults don’t play make believe, do we? Grownups don’t get together and announce that today we’re going to play Star Wars and you get to be Luke. Or do they? This week’s guest reminds us that the imaginative play that we engaged in as children gave us access to tools we can use throughout our entire lives. Imaginative play provides us with the opportunity to be agile and creative in our thinking – to see new paths, new scripts to follow when we start to feel stuck. If you’re tired of carrying around that weight - of trying to meet everyone’s expectations and following the very serious grownup path we’re all supposed to, I invite you to meet Tony Perone, Ph.D., a lecturer at University of Washington, Tacoma. His incredibly lucky students have the opportunity to see what it’s like to peel back that layer of expectation and write new “scripts” for our usual mundane daily interactions. Even our conversat

We know that a playful approach to life can lead to better innovations, cooperation and even transform lives. But what about when disaster strikes? Does play still have a role? Desiree Matel-Anderson has proof that play is vitally important even when facing harrowing situations like floods, tornadoes and other types of crises. In this interview, she shares how a Robot Petting Zoo helped the unaccompanied minors stranded in Texas border towns during the youth border crisis in 2013 – 2015. She talks about her team’s fascinating uses for drones and how they’re working with a town in Canada to gamify emergency prep – and it really IS a game. It sounds like these people are having an awful lot of fun. (Has anyone seen that mayor?)  Desiree (Desi) Matel-Anderson is the “Chief Wrangler” of the not-for-profit organization Field Innovation Team (FIT) and CEO of the Global Disaster Innovation Group, LLC.  Ms. Matel-Anderson is the first and former Chief Innovation Advisor at FEMA and Think Tank Strategic Vision Coordin

The US Play Coalition believes that everyone in the world should have equal access to all forms of play. Play is a basic need that provides the foundation for all areas of development. It’s an essential part of being human that helps us reach our full potential. But that’s still not a very mainstream view. Play is just beginning to move beyond the perception that it’s a fluffy “nice to have.” That’s why play needs a voice. One of them is the US Play Coalition.  The US Play Coalition is a collection of many voices - it's a deep well of knowledge around the subject of play. On their website, you can find research, publications, events and educational resources. They hold an annual conference in April. This year the theme is “The Value of Play: Where Design Meets Play.” I’m honored to have recently become a Play Ambassador for them and that happened when I met Ryan Fahey. Ryan’s role at the US Play Coalition includes connecting with play ambassadors (which now includes me!), engaging them within the play ambassa

The fun of a Rube Goldberg machine is watching a task, one that should be simple, being performed through a drawn-out series of seemingly meaningless detours. But we hate detours, right? Not always. This interview with Brett Doar, I hope, will challenge how you look at finding your “path” to success, to contentment, to your goals, whatever they are. (Hint: Play plays a pretty big role). Brett Doar is a multi-disciplinary artist known for his work building Rube Goldberg machines and other types of interactive and kinetic devices. You might have seen his work in the OK Go This Too Shall Pass video from a few years back. He and his team have also brought these, what he likes to call “Chain reaction machines” to live stages at places like such as The Colbert Report, Google IO and SO many more. He holds an MFA from the Arts, Computation and Engineering program at UC Irvine. But really, what’s most important to us, he’s capable of building ANYTHING out of paperclips. His background includes working as a commercial

Ilana Ben-Ari’s startup, Twenty One Toys, is part of a revolution. A toy revolution. On their website they ask: “Our revolution demands answers: Where are creativity, play, teamwork and empathy in our classrooms, our boardrooms or the public square? More importantly, how do we teach these critical skills?” In school we learn to compete, to win, to make the highest marks and try to become the best. But how do we teach future generations – and even our own generations in the workplaces and political discussions we engage in right now – the skills we desperately need to thrive in the 21st century? How do we teach things like empathy, creativity and how to handle failure? Ilana’s answer - with toys of course! Ilana Ben-Ari is a multiple-award winning industrial designer, TEDx speaker, and Ariane de Rothschild Fellow. She has been featured in the Guardian UK, was Independent UK's small business person of the week, and winner of C2MTL's emerging entrepreneur award. She has been working at the intersection of design

Science tells us how important play is for kids – for the development of their minds and ability to adapt. But what about adults? Once we reach the age of adulthood, and often even in the midst of adolescence, play is left behind. Ben Ross (a.k.a. The Flying Raccoon) passionately believes that this can’t be right. His mission is to reintegrate Play into the lives of all adults to “grow their ability to let go; to gain a calmer outlook and become more able to respond positively to the events that life throws at us.” In this episode, Ben shares about steps we adults can take to reclaim play unapologetically. He talks about how we can start reintroducing play into our day-to-day experiences and begin to recognize and expand on the types of play we’re most drawn to. We explore the connection between play and mindfulness, as well as how we can only be really good at the work we do when we learn to play. Show Notes/Links "To the Burning Man Community Regarding the Oakland Fire" from the Burning Man Journal Today'

Amber Clisura is a force of nature. The good kind. And she has some very strong feelings about the vitality of play to share with us in this episode. She believes that how we play can shape our own lives as well as help to open up the possibility of joy and fun in the lives of others. She’s part of a community dedicated to song and pure play called Jerk Church that began in Oakland, California. They’re irreverent and fun, but they’re also dedicated to giving back. At Jerk Church, doing good deeds is never a drag. Learn more about the Jerks as well as Amber’s personal take on how our attitudes toward play shape our perspectives on career, hard work and what it means to “follow our bliss.” (Believe me, it’s not what you’re expecting.) Enjoy! Show Notes & Links: Watch the official music video for Life Is Excellent by Bobby Joe Ebola and the Children MacNuggits Visit the Jerk Church website Check out Amber's clothing line, Salt Clothing Like Salt Clothing on Facebook

As the post-election storms continue to rock the world, a group of play enthusiasts are coming together to ask the question, can play help us heal from this divisiveness and turmoil? One Facebook post really caught my imagination. It was entitled, “Can Play Save Us?” Mathias Poulsen, Co-founder & Chairman of the Board of the NGO CounterPlay in Denmark, began his post by saying, “I need to act.” He went on to explain how a playful perspective is more vital than ever right now and therefore, so is his crusade. Between his words and the many inspiring comments, I’m re-energized to keep going as well. So this episode is my refection on what I’ve been learning so far about play from PlayGrounding guests and how we might be able to answer the question, can play save us? In a special conversation with Amanda Coolong, Co-Chairman of the Board at WITI - Women In Technology International and former PlayGrounding guest, actress Michelle Barton, we’ll look at how play can pull us out of negative, non-productive thoug

“If you think about the human spirit – if we were to evolve to our highest state – what is that? It’s play.” – Artist Patrick Shearn Patrick Shearn is an artist and founder of Poetic Kinetics. He creates interactive, experimental art installations such as the recent Liquid Shard, a beautiful temporary installation above Pershing Square in Downtown Los Angeles. Made of holographic mylar that spanned 15,000 square feet, it rode on the wind up to 115 feet in the air. Liquid Shard brought hundreds of people out of their offices each day to enjoy lunch in the park who wouldn't ordinarly have left their cubicles. Patrick and his team are also responsible for incredible art pieces at festivals like Burning Man and Coachella. In 2013, they created an 80-foot snail called “Helix Poeticus,” in 2014, the 36-foot tall astronaut called “Escape Velocity” (affectionately dubbed “The Coachella Astronaut”), and a double piece in 2015 called "Caterpillar’s Longing" – a giant colorful caterpillar and butterfly that shaded festi

No one has ever promised us cozy and secure lives, but many choose to live in a state of denial when it comes to the fact that sometimes our planet is trying to kill us. As of the day this podcast is going live, Hurricane Matthew is pounding Florida. Just a few weeks ago, an earthquake alert was issued for the first time in the State of California. We were told to be ready for a possible earthquake with a magnitude of 7 or greater in the southern part of the state. These things aren’t fun. Why would we talk about them on a podcast about play? No one in their right mind WANTS to think about them, right? Wrong. Meet professional artist Kevin “Kevissimo” Rolly. Kevin thinks about this stuff a lot, but he’s far from a Debbie Downer. Kevin has been attending Burning Man since 1996. Early on, he experienced how radical self-reliance could be incredibly empowering and even fun. Facing the unknown, getting educated and being prepared can lead not only to peace of mind but to great adventures and the ability to care f

Chef David Weidman, or “Chef Dave” as he’s known to his admirers, is known for his spectacular mini-cheesecakes and desserts. But his fame among the Burning Man community is due to his generosity, passion and creativity in the dusty kitchen. On this episode, you’ll hear how cooking became a lifeline when he was a young boy struggling with a learning disability. He also talks about meeting Julia Child, partnering with a rocket scientist to create amazing frozen desserts in the harshest desert conditions, and how giving himself over to what many would have called a hobby led him to deeper friendships, great adventures and a new business. If you’ve ever been to Burning Man, you might have met Chef Dave or tasted some of his food. He’s cooked for Black Rock Observatory, The French Quarter, Black Rock Bakery, Red Nose District and even the ever elusive Tuna Guys. He even made jasmine cupcakes for a wedding on the open playa this year! (They were amazing.) You can buy his cheesecakes and other desserts at local Los

We don’t always know what we’re going to grow up to be. This week’s guest, AJ Freysteinson, didn’t know, but he followed a play-inspired path from the time he was a child that led him to become one of today’s leading innovators in 3D projection mapping, holographic art, and a lot of other unique and breath-taking visual solutions. You’ll hear what inspires him as well as the guiding principle behind the career decisions he’s made throughout his life. You’ll also hear how he refuels his own fire to keep his creative juices flowing – and it involves a very well-known playground. Notes and Links: Visit RabCup’s Website See videos from projects RabCup has worked on Like RabCup on Facebook!

It’s easy to point a finger at over-protective parents, but don’t let yourself away with being over-protective of YOU. You’ll be missing all the fun. It’s so sad, right? Many kids don’t get to run free and play with sticks or climb dangerous jungle gyms anymore. But a lot of study has been done around how important it is for kids to explore and challenge themselves, even when it means they might get hurt. But as I always wonder, what about us adults? We need play in the same ways that children do – even play that could get a little dangerous. Some adults choose dangerous sporting activities to challenge themselves. We have an awesome sense of accomplishment when we push past a fear and climb that rock face or float down those rapids. But there’s a whole world beyond sport for those of us who want to challenge ourselves while having a little fun. That’s what this show is about. The show notes and links I promised: Gever Tulley’s Interview with Melissa Block Gever Tulley’s Interview on the TED Radio Hour Gever

When we were kids, everyone thought it was important for us to play. They even set up this weird thing called “recess” where we could encounter the awesome world of the playground. They knew it was good for us then, but what about now? As adults, no one seems to care about recess for us anymore. It was good for us then, and it’s vital for us now. But how do we find a playground like we had back then? One that’s a world unto itself? I started this show for that very reason. There are no teachers watching out for us now. We have to prioritize play for ourselves. In this episode, part two of a three-part series on finding a great playground, we’ll revisit Dr. Stuart Brown’s properties of play and how I found them at Burning Man. Like the playground at school – it was a world unto itself. It cut us off from the world of expectations and homework only to leave us with possibility and exploration. We can find it as adults. I found it at Burning Man. I invite you to share with me the other places where you find your

Keeping your feet on the ground is the number one cause of boring, uninspired lives. In addition to taking care of ourselves and our families, we have every right to play and lead fun, fulfilling and interesting lives. It's one thing to know that and another to figure out how to do it. Especially if your feet have been on the ground for so long you forget how to have fun. This episode is the introduction to a series about finding a playground that sets you free to really experience the power of play. The last PlayGrounding episode, Escaping Your Cage, was about identifying and plotting a course away from the things that tie us down. But for what? There has to be a second step. Sometimes our discontent is so ingrained, it’s hard to know what to do when you actually get out. It might even seem easier just to go back inside the cage. But there IS more to life (as I might have mentioned). Finding Your Playground Over the next few episodes, we’ll talk about how to create the circumstances that make play possible –

Do you live in a cage? (Of course you don’t. Right?) That’s what we explore in this week’s episode of PlayGrounding. I’ll talk about ideas for how to identify whether you’re really as happy as you keep telling yourself you are, then help you identify your own personal cage so that you can start making plans to break out. And it was all inspired by a dog. Here’s what I promised you from this week’s episode: WOOP – A scientific strategy that people can use to find and fulfill their wishes and change their habits. Including the book, Rethinking Positive Thinking by Gabriele Oettingen. NPR’s Hidden Brain Podcast with Shankar Vedantam: WOOP, There It Is! 4 Steps To Achieve Your Goals Joy – Staring Jennifer Lawrence Meg Rabbit’s Story – Episode 2 of PlayGrounding, Child’s Play and Grown Up Decisions