TED Conversations

corey morris

This conversation is closed. Start a new conversation
or join one »

Why aren't there playgrounds for adults?

Adults will readily play when given the permission and opportunity. I think adult playgrounds could be one step towards making society more approving of play.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScvGd8BjR34

Related Talks:
Topics: creativity fun happiness play positive psychology psychology social change
+2
Share:
progress indicator
  • thumb

    Frank Clayton

    • +1
    Jul 8 2012: I am all for having letting the inner child out to play. I noticed the the adults in the video you attached of the adult McDonald's playground seemed to have no problem getting in touch with that part of them. I love the idea of a playground for adults! I know there are a few indoor playgrounds that can be rented for blocks of time. I think a big part of it is creating a safe atmosphere to come out and play.
  • thumb

    Obey No1kinobe 50+

    • 0
    Jul 7 2012: The whole world and the inner world are our playgrounds.
  • thumb

    Lee-Anna Johnston

    • 0
    Jul 2 2012: the world is my playground! I have a blast travelling, kayaking, and exploring the world around me and I don't let myself overthink things or take myself too seriously. I give myself permission to play. I love going to playgrounds with my neices and nephews, and will crawl around on the equipment with them. I have a great relationship with children because I play with them, I join in and I don't care what other adults think of me. ASk any child, they love it when their parents play WITH them, not just sit and watch while they play. The only difference is, as adults, a lot of our play is different from when we were kids. Things we thought were boring when we were kids, like going hiking, have become fun as an adult. Plus, we don't have parents telling us we cannot do something. I for one happily threw myself off a bridge with a giant bungy cord around my ankles and yahoo'd all the way down. You can bet my parents would not have let me 'play' like that when i was a kid. I have a serious job, and I always make sure that at least once a year I do something crazy fun. I am saving up to sky dive at the moment. that is my play.

  • Stewart Ellis

    • 0
    Jun 21 2012: Because we have clubs, pubs and children will be neglected, when you have children playtime is over, for a while anyway's.
    • thumb

      Colleen Steen 500+

      • 0
      Jul 7 2012: Hi Stewart,
      You say that when you have children, playtime is over for awhile. That was not my experience with having kids at all. Observing the playfullness of the kids constantly reminded me to stay connected with the "kid" in myself. Children are open, honest, trusting, curious, and unconditionally loving. These are qualities we often spend our entire life trying to re-connect with. When we are totally engaged with a child in each moment...playing and enjoying their love of life, playtime is not over, but rather joyfully, enthusiastically reinforced....in my humble perception and experience:>)

  • Marisa Marques

    • +1
    Jun 13 2012: I have an experience about this..... I went some months ago to a playground with my son, and I sart playing with him, jumping, singing...... in 5 min all around the playground I could feel the eyes of desaproval from others adults. I felt so embaraced that I went home. We don´t allowed us to play, and the society desaproves this behavior, if you play, you have defenitly some mental problem....It´s just sad for us. I have this mental desease, but just at home, maybe some day I´ll come out of the closet ahahahahahahah
    • thumb

      Colleen Steen 500+

      • +1
      Jun 14 2012: Marisa,
      That is so sad!!! My guess is that they were jealous of you having fun playing with your son. Anyway...it doesn't matter what they think/feel about playing. I agree with you that not enough people allow themselves to be playful, and it is a great gift to yourself and everyone around you:>) Apparently I have that playful thing as well, and I am well out of the closet:>)

      P.S. I have been out playing in the gardens today, and it is WONDERFUL:>)
      This is my garden playground:>)
      http://smugdud.smugmug.com/Quintessential%20Vermont )

      • Marisa Marques

        • +1
        Jun 14 2012: Beautifull your garden!!!!!:) Thank´s for sharing;) Love the chairs, and the lake:) I´ll keep playing, it makes me happy!! And if the all around me people are happy and smiling even for 5 min, I really think that´s a wonderfull thing." It´s like the Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared."
        Buddha

        Let´s keep on playing, like happy children that we are:)
  • thumb

    Colleen Steen 500+

    • +5
    Jun 13 2012: In my perception, we have playgrounds all around us...rivers, lakes, mountains, bike paths, gardens, etc. My toys are a kayak, bicycle, skis, garden tools, etc.

    Corey, I think/feel the most important part of your question is that perhaps some adults don't give themselves permission to play? At a certain time in our life, we are sometimes taught that now we are an adult...we must act like an adult!!! There is certain wisdom in this advise...to an extent.

    The child in us is the part that is open, honest, trusting, curious and PLAYFUL!!! Perhaps when we are told to "grow up"..."act like an adult", we deny ourselves the opportunities to "play". Fortunately, no-one ever told me to "grow up and act like an adult", so everything in my life is work/play:>) I bring joy and playfullness to most situations.

    "We do not stop playing because we grow old. We grow old because we stop playing".
  • thumb

    corey morris

    • 0
    Jun 13 2012: I agree that there are forms of play available for adults. I don't think we should do away with the more complex forms of play, but there is something to be said for simplicity. Just hopping on the swings with a friend, going down a slide, or being spun on a merri-go-round. I occasionally go to playgrounds with friends now, but most equipment is too small and you can't really go on a nice day because they are too packed with kids.
    • thumb

      Colleen Steen 500+

      • 0
      Jun 13 2012: Corey,
      That is really annoying when kids take over the playground!!! LOL:>)
      • thumb

        corey morris

        • 0
        Jun 13 2012: Hahaha yea.... I definitely want kids to be able to play and feel too bad to take up equipment that they want to use.
        • thumb

          Colleen Steen 500+

          • 0
          Jun 14 2012: I definitely want kids to be able to have the equipment to play on too Corey...that's why I have my own toys:>) I was being playful with you:>)
  • thumb

    Robert Winner 50+

    • +2
    Jun 11 2012: The difference between a man and a boy is the cost of the toy. We have plenty of playgrounds. They are just no longer swings and titter totters. We skydive, bungy jump, ski, boat, fish, cycle, race, go to gyms and spas, etc .... Granted that is not the traditional playground but non the less a fun place for us to recreate at..

    All the best. Bob
  • thumb

    edward long 100+

    • +1
    Jun 11 2012: We could upsize the swings but grownups are way too sophisticated to use them. Also, kids are not litigious, they get up from a fall, dust themselves off and get back in the game. Also, who are adults going to yell,"Mommy watch!" to? Finally, there is no money in a free public playground for grown-ups.
    • thumb

      corey morris

      • 0
      Jun 13 2012: The money is there. My city is full of public tennis courts, basketball courts, soccer fields, and kids playgrounds. Maybe there just are no standards out there for making swings for an adult who might be 300 pounds?
      • thumb

        edward long 100+

        • 0
        Jun 13 2012: Thank you. I was influenced by tunnel-vision in that I was visualizing upsized versions of kids playground toys. I see now that your question is why there are no public places for adults to play. I also see that you just answered your own question. I thought it was more fun to think of 25-foot tall slides and huge teeter-totters. Oh well, sorry I misunderstood.
        • thumb

          corey morris

          • 0
          Jun 13 2012: You were right the first time. Maybe I should have asked originally if people would go to a playground for adults and what equipment would be interesting to them to go on. I understand that it would be more difficult and more expensive than a playground for kids.

          I would think that if it existed, adults would go. I see the biggest obstacle being that most adults would initially view it as silly and wouldn't want to look foolish playing on it.
  • thumb

    Fritzie Reisner 100+

    • +1
    Host
    Jun 11 2012: I agree with Rafi that adults find "playgrounds." For example, gyms/health clubs, the public park, a gathering at home or neighborhood, an eating or drinking place that may include pool or dancing, hackerspaces with no age boundaries ... There are also online versions, playgrounds that include interactive online individual or multiplayer games and social communities. Folk festivals that are participatory in different ways, venues for contra dancing or ballroom dancing, street caroling competitions, adult choirs, open mikes.... all provide opportunities to play for people who choose to enjoy them and find them close at hand.
    Meetup allows people to join in hobbies or interests anywhere with other adults... even volunteering for Habitat or in trail maintenance has the physical and community components of play. The idea of adult play has gotten a lot of attention in recent decades, but it is not at all a new thing- only a newly popular label.
  • thumb

    Rafi Amin 20+

    • +1
    Jun 11 2012: It is because all other places are playgrounds for them.
Showing all 20 comments