Random and Organized Types of Play
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Qualities and Benefits of
Random Play
Going towards entropy or destruction
Place of the unknown
Generate novel ideas
Fosters spontaneity
Promotes creativity, adaptability
Ability to let go into experience
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Qualities and Benefits of
Organized Play
Going towards increased tone, skill
Learning of social signals, rules
and relational strategies
Confers non verbal communication skills
Brings to form
Ability to manipulate experience
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Effects of too much
Randomness
Feeling a lack of purpose
Can’t get a grip
Can’t get things done, finished
Lots of great ideas but no form
Hard to work in a team
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Effects of too much
Organization
Feeling a lack of joy
Life feels like it’s all work
No inspiration, creativity
Feeling trapped
Taking things too seriously, too literally
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Types of Play
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Random
Pillow fights
Pass the Story
Dolls (creating fantasy)
Tag
Balloon Fights
Play on words
Tickling
Finger Painting
Changing words to a song |
Style
Expressive
Movement
Narrative
Imaginative
Games
Sports
Cognitive
Sexual
Art
Music
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Organized
Dancing the Tango
Cross-word puzzle
Guided imagery
Monopoly
Baseball
Logic Puzzles
Spin the Bottle
Paint by numbers
Gregorian Chants |
Many types of play are inherently both
organizing and randomizing. Optimally, we want to find balance in our
activities between randomness and organization. Play can help us
balance the deficits that may exist in these areas in other aspects of
our lives. |
Melanie Smithson, MA, BC-DMT, LPC & Christine Caldwell, Ph.D., BC-DMT, LPC © 2001
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