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Once heading upward in the enforced conviviality of a chairlift I was so sure I knew the other rider—a jolly, talkative, round-faced fellow—that I asked if we knew each other. We didn’t. He wanted to know if he looked familiar. I said he did as a matter of fact, but something didn’t look right about the ski helmet. “Would it help if you pictured me in a top hat?” he asked. I said, “Where are you from?” “Punxsutawney,” he said.
Ha! […]

Continue Reading about Punxsutawney Phil, Ritual, and Prognostication as Play Published on:
February 15, 2012

Music is one of the first forms of play we engage in as infants, noted The Strong’s Vice President for Play Studies, Scott G. Eberle, in his American Journal of Play article, “Playing with the Multiple Intelligences: How Play Helps Them Grow.” Music plays a critical role in our development. Our subsequent education practically depends upon it.  And, in my experience, so does our health and happiness.
As babies, music can either stimulate or lull us. As we grow, we come […]

Continue Reading about Musick Has Charms to Sooth a Savage Breast Published on:
February 14, 2012

Here’s an amusing news item that’s got me a little steamed. Killjoys in Los Angeles County have passed a rule against play. Maybe you’ve heard of it. A 37-page ordinance recently promulgated prohibits any person “upon or over any beach” between Memorial Day and Labor Day “to cast, toss, throw, kick, or roll” any object other than a beach ball or volleyball. If the code enforcement officer catches you violating the law you may be liable to a $100 fine […]

Continue Reading about No Having Fun at the Beach! Published on:
February 13, 2012

As an educator, I’m curious about how childhood play and learning experiences shape individuals at the top of their creative fields. Recently I asked Garth Fagan, Tony Award winning choreographer of the Lion King, just that question.
“As a child,” Fagan began, “I loved anything that got me moving.”
One of his favorite haunts, an Olympic-size pool at Bournemouth Gardens in his Jamaican homeland, served as an irresistible place for games of chase and dare. Fagan recalled how he and his friends […]

Continue Reading about Garth Fagan: Play and the Innovative Dancer Published on:
February 10, 2012

In 2009, Mattel introduced two new Barbie dolls, Edward and Bella, to their Pink Label collection. I’m sure most recognize this famous duo as Bella Swan and her sparkly vampire beau, Edward Cullen, from the Twilight saga. Mattel released the dolls in conjunction with the November 2009 premiere of the movie New Moon, and has since turned characters Jacob, Alice, Victoria, and Jane into dolls as well. It seems Mattel couldn’t help but notice that Twilight has a veritable army […]

Continue Reading about Teddy Meets Twilight: Popular Culture’s Influence on Toys Published on:
February 7, 2012

From Man Ray and Elizabeth Lee Miller to Picasso and Marie-Therese Walter, the story of an artist and his muse proves just as striking as the artwork itself. Today, video games both inspire art and serve as a muse. Three different video game projects recently caught my fancy.
A few years ago, I went to see The Artist is Present at the Museum of Modern Art. Marina Abramović sat in a chair for nearly three months, and as part of her […]

Continue Reading about Video Games aMuse Me Published on:
February 3, 2012

If you have ever owned a puppy, you know how they like to chew and chew and then chew some more. Puppies are chewing machines. They chew to celebrate when they’re happy. They chew to calm themselves when they’re anxious. They chew to soothe their erupting teeth and ease the ache in their growing jaws. They chew because it’s fun. For a puppy, chewing is play. The playing puppy doesn’t always make us happy. A puppy will chew the soles […]

Continue Reading about When Chewing is Play: The Dood and His Toys Published on:
February 3, 2012

In case you missed the media blitz, on November 10, the National Toy Hall of Fame at The Strong announced its 2011 inductees: the dollhouse, Hot Wheels, and the blanket. If you read my early November blog, you know that I thought the puppet, one of the 12 finalists for this year’s induction, was a shoo-in—just goes to show you that even insiders cannot always guess well!
I concede that each of this year’s inductees certainly belongs in the Toy Hall […]

Continue Reading about The Dollhouse: A 2011 National Toy Hall of Fame Inductee Published on:
January 31, 2012

Here’s a story about the important lessons I learned about a peculiar form of play from Tommy, a mischievous high school pal of mine.
Practical Joke, Fake Spilled Beverage
 

Practical jokes and harmless pranks are blithe and funny, especially to the perpetrators and the onlookers. Such jokes and pranks fool, hoodwink, and ensnare their victims and play best when the object of the joke seems slightly deserving of the attention. Practical jokes and harmless pranks must make the victim himself laugh […]

Continue Reading about Practical Jokes as Play: The Spritz, the Sneak, and the Penguin Published on:
January 27, 2012