Playtime | Day 112 of my 2023 Journal

I always enjoyed being around children.

While staying at the castle, it is very tempting always to interact with the other adults, but it is, at the same time, the perfect opportunity to play.

Free play is at the center of Peter Gray's thinking, and I agree very much, especially with the “free” element. Play is this funny adult construction: We call it “play” when children interact with the world in their own free way, and we call it “creative space” or whatever when adults do the same. The looking down upon children's activities soaks through so many layers of adult thinking. Most adults find play a waste of time.

When we interact with our reality in a way that makes sense to us, it being tasks, chores, experiments, and artwork, we are doing something meaningful. For those looking for efficiency, I want to say everything serves a purpose, and all activities will make you grow.

Saturday night, I could have done many “adult” things, but I chose to play “Among Us” with the children at the caste. The host, Katia, was kind enough to run the game. The game was played live in the castle, and it was a lot of fun. I did not drink wine and talk with the other adults, I put myself in a new situation, and I enjoyed it very much.

It is amazing to see how such a large group (around 20 children) would self-organize the game space and make things work. It was loud and chaotic, but it did work. Nobody cheated, no one was hurt or sad, we all had fun. It was not necessary nor appropriate to have “adult supervision.” I have also been playing werewolf with the group, and I am in the same way, amazed by how the children are so respectful and so very good at making things work while having a lot of fun and being silly.

I find it very important we break down the barriers between young and less young and for the parent generation to participate in the doings of their children.

Love and light

Cecilie Conrad

# 112 of my 2023 writing challenge - Read them all here