# Why is play so important (and not just for children)?

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/two-inconvenient-women-7014979/why-is-play-so-important-and-not-just-for-children
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/two-inconvenient-women-7014979/why-is-play-so-important-and-not-just-for-children.md
Podcast: [Two Inconvenient Women](https://stenobird.com/podcast/two-inconvenient-women-7014979)
Published: 2026-07-03T09:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://shows.acast.com/two-inconvenient-women/episodes/6a463abaa736775b2609b150
Audio file: https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/66e198347fb05edbd0d09ae1/e/6a463abaa736775b2609b150/media.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/two-inconvenient-women-7014979/episodes/why-is-play-so-important-and-not-just-for-children
Duration seconds: 3564

## Resource

✨ Today's magic moment features our new ThoughtBox website ✨ Play is not just for children; it is an essential adult survival tool. And yet we find ourselves living in so many cultures where play is being eroded from childhood and is virtually non-existent amongst adults. Beyond the core developmental qualities that play enables in children, engaging in recreational activities that bring joy lowers stress, triggers mood-boosting endorphins, fuels creativity, and strengthens relationships by building trust and empathy. Play also reminds us of the vitality of life and offers a more generative way of living. So why is it that play has disappeared and how can we welcome it back into our lives and communities? In this episode we reference the following: Dirt is Good campaign (website) How play made us and keeps us human - Maria Popov (article) OPAL- Outdoor Play and Learning - organisation (website) Play based learning at St Ebbe's Primary, Oxford (website page) How play boosts creativity and resilience - Katina Bajaj (TedTalk Podcast) Rediscovering Play - Mindful Spark (blogpost) Play Based Learning with Dr Peter Gray (video) There's an inconvenient movement growing... It's not rebellion, exactly. More of a quiet refusal to look away. We're inconvenient. And if you feel it, then maybe you are too. Join us. Join The Inconvenient Club from £5 a month. Find out more at www.thoughtboxeducation.com/the-inconvenient-club Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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