Sport Thoughts with Brent Eastwood: Play leads to valuable life skills

We need to reduce barriers to play - whether that's for children or adults - as play is our first language, columnist Brent Eastwood says.

Life Without Play – It's Not a Great Concept

Play is our first language.

When we speak about play, we are referring to unstructured activity - without rules, timeframes or scheduled training. Through play, we build physical capabilities - balance, fitness, and strength. When playing with others, we learn valuable negotiation skills, concepts of sharing and friendships, all of which improves our health and wellbeing.

"Think about life without play. No humour, no movies, no games, no fantasy … try and imagine a culture or a life, adult or otherwise, without play. (And) the thing that's so unique about our species is that we're really designed to play throughout whole lifetime." Dr Start Brown, Play Researcher.

But this is the reality we are increasingly facing if we don't change how we view play. And more importantly, change how our environments enable or restrict opportunities for play.

Barriers include urban landscapes which largely restrict access to play spaces, the advent of digital devices that remove the emphasis on play activities which connect our communities with the outside world, our mental attitudes towards safety and an increase in the perceived value of structured activities.

These have all impacted on our community's ability to engage in unstructured, unfettered, fun, play. Our communities are less connected, less involved, and less aware of their place and value as a result.

Organisations like Sport Northland and Healthy Families Far North are committed to working with communities to firstly understand what these barriers are, and secondly, find ways to create local solutions that enable play.

We are aiming to bring back play, fun, and ultimately, community connections, change attitudes around the importance and value of play, and work with decision makers, stakeholders, and leaders to ensure this value and importance is adhered to at all levels.

Aspirations to further develop partnerships within the play, active recreation and sport sector and to progress regional improvements in the planning and provision of play opportunities are what brought together a group of play advocates for the first Northland Play Coalition hui recently.

The development of a play coalition is a priority within Northland's regional strategy for play, active recreation and sport; Kōkiri ai te Waka Hourua. People from across Northland came together to connect over how we can develop more playful spaces and opportunities across the Northland region.

The play coalition is open to anyone interested in developing more play opportunities in Northland, from whānau, teachers and local community go-getters, right through to council members, private businesses and sports clubs.

Play is particularly important to the wellbeing of young people. It allows tamariki to experience fun, joy and laughter in a way that is important to them. When young people have access to enriched and varied playful experiences within their local environments, they develop a range of skills that will help them throughout their life.

Are you interested in taking part in the next play coalition hui? Get in contact with Brittany White, Sport Northland special projects lead, at brittanyw@sportnorth.co.nz.