Play Works - in the Workplace and Beyond

This week I ran a Play Skills session for staff at a fantastic special needs school in North London. This was a 2 hour CPD after a long day at work for 30 staff, at the beginning of a long term.

The aim was three-fold:

To help to integrate new staff in to the team and bond as a whole
To boost the wellbeing, moral & confidence of the staff team at the beginning of the term
To remind staff of the skills they have and how to integrate play and games back into their lives and into their classrooms

Tall order? Actually, time and again the act of playing does the work. Play is so rich in transferable skills, that in being engaged in the exercises and games we facilitate, it is such a pleasure to see the visible transformation that participants undergo.

Play supports cooperation, team work, creativity and creative thinking; the act of playing supports development and maintenance of flexibility, spontaneity and confidence.

As an adult, being asked to play encourages us to step out of our comfort zone, safely. In almost every session I notice from some participants initial hesitation, or rather momentary fear of the unknown (what will be expected of me? Will I look/feel silly?). Then with gentle and supportive encouragement, and permission to let go if the idea that we always have to be right, I see them set off on a journey of reconnection to their joy and creativity.

We know that this is a much better place to inhabit; to approach our work, personal and daily lives from.

So, what happened in the session?

At the beginning of the session, I asked each participant to do what I call a 5- word check-in: using five words to sum up how they are feeling, either as a sentence or as individual words. Some of words used were: Tired, confused, I want to go home, feeling flat, long day.

After a 2-hour Play Skills session full of activities, we finished with a one-word check out, so sum up each person’s experience/how they were feeling in that moment. The words that came back included: Energised, happy, joyful, fun, excited, relaxed.

The words speak for themselves. The atmosphere and transformation that comes over people during a play session is palpable – it’s a delight to experience and facilitate. Play really works!