Why We Play
As we take our first steps into the world, playing is how we explore and understand it.
Play is universal across human cultures and time. Most mammals play, even into adulthood, but it鈥檚 an evolutionary puzzle: at best, time spent playing looks like time wasted; at worst, having your attention diverted by play puts you at risk of being eaten by a predator. But humans are the pre-eminent playful species, from babies鈥� rattles through to bridge clubs for seniors. It鈥檚 claimed that play makes us creative, helps us select mates, and staves off cognitive decline. This series looks at play across cultures, through time, and during the course of a single human life. It鈥檚 a universally-relevant exploration of why play is both the most joyful and the most serious part of all of us.
Image: An adult passes a child a plastic brick (Credit: Getty Creative)
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