When we think of play, more often than not, what comes to mind almost instantaneously are children. We readily associate play to kids and that it is not something adults, or grown-ups would do. We fail to realize that play is for everyone and that it is actually one of the best things you can do for yourself.

Forms of Play:

Play can come in various forms and it may or may not utilize different tools. Play could be in the form of physical activities such as sports and different recreational endeavors. Mental activities and strategic exercises such as playing with board games, cards, and puzzles; is also another form of play. Technology has also given us a multitude of apparatuses and programs as a platform for playing games. Play can also be categorized by the number of participants involved which can either be one-person, two-person, or group play.

What Play Can Do for You:

Play is Learning. Back when we were wee little babies, play is what we utilized to explore things around us and thus learn from our environment. Touching, tugging, hitting, yanking, pulling, squeezing, even eating are all play exercises that babies use to explore and learn. The acquisition of knowledge or skills through new experiences, practice, and study can be developed and honed through play when applied throughout once life.

Play is Exercise. It is training and workout. Constant use of one's faculties, such as the body and the mind, promotes it's growth and development and thus improves health and general well-being. Hand-eye coordination, tactile feedback, increased responsiveness and alertness, are just some of the specific areas of human functions that could greatly benefit from play. There are even computer programs out there that claim to improve cognition, support mental health, and reduce the risk of certain mental illness as we age, through simple mental exercises.

Play is Not Just Activity, It's Therapy. It promotes interactions, not just socially, but also personally. It can promote introspection and can lead to better self-awareness. Play is a good way to release tension and stress. It helps avoid boredom as play comes in so many forms and can adjust and accommodate any age-group, promoting a sense of freedom from daily routine. It can help diminish the sense of being alone as communication skills are also honed thus improving one's ability to maintain a healthy social life. The Greek philosopher Plato puts it very well as he quoted, "You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation."

Play is Fun. Like, really. Everyone needs to experience light-hearted pleasure every now and then.

So go ahead and play. Whatever age-group you are in right now should not be an issue. With all the amazing benefits of it and all its different types and forms, what's stopping you? Growing up and staying young is possible through play.

We all know what they say about all work and no play. If you don't, i suggest you don't wait to find out.