Play!!!

The case for Frivolity,' (U.S. News & World Report, Feb. 3). exposes emerging views resulting from the study of play among wild species. The prevailing theme is that "biologists have found increasing evidence that for a variety of species [play] is nearly as important as food and sleep." These observations command the interest of all of us whose personal and professional actions depend on an acute awareness of human behavior, as it relates to that of wild species.

Social scientists and behavioral psychologists have also long believed that play is an integral part of human development. Not unlike ourselves, however they have been challenged to qualify these observations. Today, biologists increasingly study play behaviors among a range of species, and they apparently feel more confident in drawing conclusions across the species. Setting anthropomorphisms aside for a moment, these studies may help bring definition to the study of human behavior as well.

Indeed, corresponding studies of human behavior also note that play is a key component to the development of healthy, well-adjusted youth. The U. S. News article cites, for example, the observations of Jerome and Dorothy Singer, child psychologists at Yale University and authors of the House of Make-Believe. "Children gain physical skills through exuberant motion," the Singers observe, "just like any young animal ... They also gain emotional and mental mastery through play, particularly through imaginative games." California psychiatrist Stuart Brown observes: "I think we get into trouble socially, physically, and culturally if we neglect (play). Play is so vital in part because it lays the groundwork for creative thinking in adulthood."

Remaining Relevant

The forefathers of modern recreation and parks, and of our organization, were far more lacking in behavioral data than we are. But they gave us other `tools' to sharpen public perceptions, prevail in budget hearings, and remain relevant as change swirls around us. They taught us to see and articulate "value" in the faces of the young people who forged new friendships through recreation, learned to compete, resolve differences, become mentally and physically stronger, and avoid destructive behavior. They helped us study the faces of older adults, people with disabilities, people preparing for military combat, and families in stress too. And they taught us how to support them with recreation services.

Importantly, recreation services are likely perceived as vital and actually supported principally in those places where humans already demand and use them, with or without data. To these activists, reports like Beyond "Fun and Games:" Emerging Roles of public Recreation and Public Recreation in High Risk Environments; Programs that Work, offer credible external observations and data which help convince others, elected officials, for example, that investments of time and human and fiscal resources will clearly result in a public good. These reports also reinforce our own thinking, thus helping us to effectively express the benefits arising from recreation.

Scientific observation of the play behavior of Macaque monkeys as reported with U. S. News & World Report may seem far from, say, recreation in an urban setting. But it's not that far, and it's highly instructive. The goal of enhanced public understanding and honest perceptions of the value of play, recreation experiences and park environments is a continuing task for all of us. If we remember that these influence so many other realms of human behavior and experience, we may come up with some surprising new tools, and allies.