Play Quest Postings

Play Activity: Joined an intramural volleyball team at the University of Toronto

                        Play with my two nieces throughout a variety of activities.

1)      What are your goals?

The primary goal I have for myself while engaging in this play activity is to make genuine social connections with other students at the University of Toronto. Although social interaction may be a secondary priority for some in this sport-activity, I consider it to be an essential experience that I am hoping to have while I am a student here. I consider my life to be incredibly busy at times, juggling demanding school work and jobs, but the ability to disconnect and distract myself from these things is also a goal of mine I hope to achieve through this quest. While doing so, I also hope to learn more about myself as an athlete; I have never been athletically-inclined so this will be an opportunity to step outside of my comfort zone and enjoy something new. Sports, even at the intramural level, have a tendency of becoming competitive quickly, but I am hoping that throughout the process I can learn to let go and just enjoy myself.

            My goals for my play quest have changed, as my play quest activity has changed. My goals still remain in large part to disconnect myself from the busyness of life, but it is no longer to make social connections with fellow students at U of T. Instead I have decided to strengthen my connections with family members, and engage in activities that I find incredibly enjoyable and rewarding; activities that I do not always make time for. Therefore my new play quest activity will be to ‘play’ with my two nieces spontaneously, and within a variety of activities throughout the next couple of months.

2)      How do you think you will engage in the quest?

I believe this quest will be challenging for me at first. As mentioned in Brown (2009), most of us have a tendency to shy away from activities that seemingly have no purpose because we are afraid they will be viewed as unproductive and trivial to ourselves and others. When things begin to pile up on my plate, I have a feeling I will find it hard to justify my ‘play time’ but I am hoping this experience will become transformative for me; I am hoping I will run towards opportunities for play. 

3)      What might it look like?

There are either one of two options as to what this particular ‘play’ activity could look like: it could be an arena of competition, where even the slightest mistake could result in glares, blame and dissention among the team, or it could be an environment of positivity and encouragement. I am hoping that it is the latter, where team members joke amongst each other, and where there is laughter and enjoyment. I am hoping our team will look like cooperation, and feel like connection.

Unfortunately my engagement with volleyball was not as enjoyable as I had predicted it could be, so I have decided to switch my play quest activity. I am expecting to engage with my two nieces within a variety of activities, but the nature of these activities still remains unclear. I am going to ‘go with the flow’ and join them in their acts of play whenever possible. I am expecting to see enjoyment, satisfaction and perhaps some surprise/anticipation over what is to come.

4)      How will you know that it is PLAY?

Throughout the text, Brown (2009) made reference to several definitions of play. I particularly enjoy Eberle’s imaginative description of play as a wheel where stages blend into one another, and I think for the most part I can relate to his definition. The first stage being anticipation, which I will definitely feel walking into the gym for the first time playing a sport I have very little experience with, comprised of people I have never met. I am hoping I will also experience pleasure in the experience of playing, as well as understanding about my capabilities as an athlete. However, as Brown (2009) mentions in his definition of play, I will not know it is play until I feel some type of emotion from it; whether it is relief, happiness, or positive connection. I have some ideas about what this experience will be, but until I step onto the court I have no way of knowing for sure.

I will continue to refer to Brown & Eberle’s imaginative descriptions of play to inform my own understandings of what constitutes as play. I know that I will experience joy in playing with them, but perhaps paying attention to the subtleties and nuances within the play, and stages of enjoyment will be useful in recognizing variations of play.

Play Personality

After careful consideration of all eight play personalities as described by Brown (2009), the artist/creator was the category that spoke to me the most. Within this description there seemed to be several subcategories of who an artist can include, ranging from traditional (painting, artistry), experiential (re-creating), and visual (design). I would belong to the latter category (visual) as many of my passions lie in interior decorating and design, clothes, makeup, all of which are visual non-traditional forms of creativity and artistry. I also felt that I belonged in the Collector category even though I felt the description did not encapsulate the reasoning for placing myself here. The collector is said to hold a grouping of interesting experiences, but I would argue that my fascination with watching tutorials from multiple genres and fields would place me here. Anyone who knows me well knows that I am obsessed with HGTV, the FOOD Network, and several YouTube channels related to fashion and beauty. My ‘collection’ of thoughts and experiences are diverse, and these outlets are the richest sources of ‘play’ for me. Experiencing demonstrations through these channels are enjoyable, absorbing, and make me want to come back again and again.

Play Narrative

As I child I was fortunate to grow up with two amazing parents who always encouraged me to follow endeavours that brought me joy (except when I decided to sand my bird house on their glass table). I have so many fond memories of play at home, whether it was our outdoor adventures to the park or arts and crafts with my mother after school, but I was reminded of one particular experience during childhood as I was walking around the neighbourhood. One day in the middle of summer my sister and I were gardening in the backyard, which was ordinarily enjoyable for us but on this day we had disturbed a giant wasp’s nest. Both my sister and I are afraid of wasps so I began running for swinging door that led into the house. Unbeknownst to me the door was locked from the inside so I ended up running face first into the glass door; luckily I was not injured in any way. My sister, who was directly behind me, saw the whole thing and we both burst into uncontrollable laughter over what had just happened. This remains one of my fondest memories of childhood which stemmed from an instance of play; the hilarity of this experience was something neither my sister nor I could put into words. This reminded me of our discussions from this week that play is best imagined as a visceral feeling, that the experience of play can materialize in many different forms, but that it is up to the individual to determine the significance and meaning up the experience.

My play quest will hopefully provide opportunities to experience this intangible feeling again.

Play Quest First Entry

During this play quest I was able to take my 3 year old niece to the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), which was a fun experience for both of us. It allowed me to experience things that I ordinarily wouldn’t have otherwise been interested in if she was not with me. For example, there was a spinner on the wall that showed the lifecycle of a frog that she was absolutely fascinated by. I doubt that she was particularly interested with the information of the frog itself, but she must have spun the wheel at least 20 times because it was enjoyable for her. Subtle nuances like this wheel could have been something I would have missed, but it was her curiosity that made it apparent for me.

            Within the artifact I have posted (first picture), she was engaging in pretend play as she dug up ‘fossils’ in the sand. In this sense, as Russ & Wallace (2013) note, pretend play becomes a child’s creative product. I was able to observe her ability to symbolize or transform objects into representations of other objects; in this case the bucket of sand was dumped upside down and became a shelf for displaying the objects she found. I could tell she was experiencing joy in her playing and creating of fantasy, where she was the archeologist on an important mission to discover new artifacts. Not only did she immerse herself in the experience but I also did as well. Aside from this experience, I cannot remember a recent time where I got dirty and dug in the sand looking for items. Play provided a space for emotional expression and creativity, and this was an amazing opportunity to just let go and enjoy ourselves.

Play Quest Second Entry

            The conversation in class this week focused on the ‘non-seriousness’ of play, and the murky waters that separate play and work. However, as Huizinga (1955) denotes, the contrast between play and seriousness proves to be neither conclusive nor fixed. To categorize play as non-serious is extraordinarily easy to refute- for some play can be very serious. The second artifact (posted on pepper) shows my 3 year old niece and I playing with her toys, which in this case was her model hospital scene with equipment and toy actors (doctor, nurse, etc.). Although we were both engaging in an act of play, I could tell that she was taking the experience very ‘seriously’. Huizinga’s partial description of play includes this idea, (1955) ‘in itself play is not comical either for player or public’. There are other fundamental categories that would fall into the realm of ‘non-seriousness’ yet have little to no correspondence with ‘play’. Laughter is a prime example, which is a sense is opposite of seriousness without being bound up with play (Huizinga (1955). Therefore, I must look to other signs of play aside from the obvious bounds of laughter or other similar signs of amusement. At the heart of this post is the assertion that her play was voluntary, suggesting that this freedom of playing gave her a sense of enjoyment. It was not imposed by physical necessity or moral duty; she wanted to engage in play simply for the enjoyment of it. Therefore, although her play may seem ‘serious’ in the photo, the boundaries between play and seriousness remains fluid, and this will be an interesting concept to explore within future posts.

Play Quest Third Entry

            Alongside playing with my 3 year old niece, I also have a fourth month old niece who I included in my play quest. I found it a bit more challenging to determine when she was playing, because the hallmarks of play (enjoyment, and so on) were much more subtle and nuanced. However, it did become quickly apparent when she was not playing! In order to clarify some of the elements of play that perhaps both her and I were experiencing, I turned to Eberle (2014) and his characterizations of the elements of play. I found it helpful to consider how each of the elements unfolded, and my connection to them.

There was certainly anticipation, an imaginative and predictive element; each time I was incredibly excited to see my nieces. I would also say there was surprise, because each time we would play it would be different than the last. My four month old niece is still in the process of sound formation, and each time she made a new sound while I was playing with her it was incredibly surprising and exciting for me. Although this surprise was not in the actual event of play, it still occurred in a playful and enjoyable space. Curiosity was certainly evident, as my niece was keen to explore the things around her. Within the photo she is lying on her mat with a mobile above her; she is fascinated with the sounds and lights within the mobile and I interpret these cues as symbols of play. Perhaps the most important element that Eberle (2014) describes is pleasure; intensifying shades of satisfaction, gratification, joy and happiness. The play quest was an enjoyable experience for me because I take extreme joy in spending time with my nieces; play would not be playful if it were not in large part fun. 

Play Quest Fourth Entry

            This week I was able to see both of my nieces playing together which was a wonderful experience. Within this picture we see my eldest niece playing with her puzzle cards and my youngest observing her as she does so. Henricks (2014) suggests that when we play, we seek feelings of control, security, and mastery, and that play itself may be a useful method for selecting and solidifying behavioural strategies so that they can be used more effectively in the future. This notion of ‘practicing skills’ was apparent in my nieces behaviour, as she continued to work and rework the puzzle pieces so they fit accordingly. In doing so, I believe she felt in control of the materials, as she would not let anyone else near her work.

Even though we were both engaged with the same materials my experience of play was completely different than hers. As Henricks (2014) notes play is an exploration of powers and predicaments; we play to find out what we can, and cannot do, and to see if we can extend our capabilities. In this case, my eldest niece was in the position of power and my youngest niece and I were the subordinate players. This was an interesting realization for me, and it prompted thought about the acquisition of skills, knowledge and people’s comprehension of their placement as determined by circumstance (Henricks, 2014). Therefore, is play as Henricks (2014) describes a process of creating ourselves in relation to those around us and our own projection of self-hood? This calls into question the possibilities of play, and the relationship among actors in the context of play; a theme that I will be returning to throughout future posts. 

Play Quest Fifth Entry

            Each week my niece asks me to read her books before she goes to sleep, and as a scholar I can’t help but critically evaluate the texts that she is surrounded with. My sister is also very conscious of the social-meaning making processes that children acquired through their involvement with text interaction and play. In an effort to reflect on my own experiences with play and not my nieces, I was prompted to think about what my relationships to these texts are. Back when I was doing my practicum in a grade six classroom, I had introduced the book ‘The Giving Tree’ by Shel Silverstein (1964) as a tool to explore the gendered power relations that existed within the pages of the book, and their implications in a larger societal context. As Cameron & Bezaire (2009) note, books themselves are play objects as they offer opportunities for make believe and pretend- to act as text-user and participant, deepening the possibility of engagement and comprehension. Therefore, the kinds of ‘pretend act’ and ‘make believe’ opportunities that children engage in become increasingly important. It is important to consider the communicative powers of toys and books. As an educator, I can use the pedagogical power of these objects strategically to invite critical conversations for social justice education. 

Play Quest Summative Reflection

            This play quest has been a transformative journey for me, because it changed my approach to and definition of ‘play’. Initially I looked for ‘universal signs of play’ including laughter, joy, amusement, but quickly I realized that play is a fluid stage that ebbs and weaves, and perhaps can more accurately be described as a phenomenon that transcends beyond its expression individual behaviour (Shields, 2015). Reflecting to the first week, I had described my nieces play as both ‘playful’ and serious at the same time showing the transitions between variations of play within a continual space. However, as Shields (2015) denotes, perhaps play as an affective experience can extend beyond the realm of the observable and reportable. Perhaps even the language we use to describe our play is insufficient because it does not encapsulate the full experience of it. Thus, play in it’s view has a linguistic dimension; it occurs and is repeated by the ways in which it becomes attached to words or stored within the repository of conscious experience (Shields, 2015). Given that play is an ongoing undercurrent of life, I do not consider my play quest to be finished but rather will continue to occur as manifestations of an unstoppable play force; something I will continue to embrace (Shields, 2015).