Play is at the forefront of our neurobiological development, however, and most unfortunately, the dictionary definition of “play” contradicts this and thus we have inherited a social disregard for its importance. To state that play – engaging in activity for enjoyment and recreation – has no serious or practical application is, simply put, untrue.
”People tend to forget that play is serious.”
David Hockney
discussing the neuroscience behind play
Play enables our brains to make cognitive links, form neuro pathways, through playful experiences and our interpretations of them. A paper conducted in 2017, Neuroscience and learning through play: a review of the evidence , focussed on the effects of playful learning as defined through five characteristics: joyful, meaningful, actively engaging, iterative and socially interactive. It found that “each characteristic is associated with neural networks involved in brain processes, including reward, memory, cognitive flexibility, and stress regulation that are activated during learning.”
Interestingly, whilst aimed at answering whether play can serve a child’s lifelong learning this paper was primarily supported by adult and animal studies. Noting that information relating to children revolves around behavioural studies rather than cortisol network (electrical activity occurring in the brain), it also addressed the notion that adult studies provide the neuro insights whilst being less susceptible, than children, to that of environmental forces. As a consequence the study also provides vital investigation into the connection between adults and play; there is much support for the argument that “play” can actually make us more fit for the unrelenting and challenging adult world. Play is a serious tool that should be employed by young and old alike.
What’s going on inSide our Heads
It has been said that our hands are connected to 70-80% of our brain cells. The neurons in our brain’s cortex are unevenly distributed: they are grouped by body part and are proportional, in size, to range of motion and feeling. Our hands, according to our motor cortex map, look extremely large because our hands are one of the parts of the body that require more precise and finer movements, like that of the face, and so are allotted a greater amount of cortical space. Similarly, our hands take up a larger area of our somatosensory cortex – the area responsible for receiving sensory information).
Neuroplasticity refers to the brain’s ability to change its structure and function in response to experience – meaning that the brain’s cortex can and does change its distribution in reaction to stimuli and reflectIon of learnings. “For instance, accomplished musicians have a larger auditory cortex compared with the general population (Bengtsson et al., 2005) and also require less neural activity to move their fingers over the keys than do novices (Münte, Altenmüller, & Jäncke, 2002).” CH4 S4.2 brains, bodies, and behaviour.
As with the base effect of play on learning, knowing that our hands hold the greatest connection with our brain helps us to understand why our tactile interactions and experiences associated with play are so much more imperative to our wellbeing and growth.
”It’s no secret that LEGO is an incredible creative media, but getting creative later in life is often the last thing on most people’s list of things to do. Beyond creativity, LEGO can be a great tool to promote collaboration, improve cognitive skills and practice mindfulness.”
Adam White |Editor BrickFanz.com |Build Yourself Happy: The Joy of Lego Play
Tougherthan brickman
Lego‘s mission to “inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow” has always served as a household visionary statement evidenced in every model created. Yet it is the company’s newest mindset, represented by its first global campaign in 30 years, to “rebuild the world” that is a genuine testament to Lego’s commitment to being a force for creativity.
It was 1990, I’d just been gifted Lego’s newest release – the System Basic 545 build-n-store chest was a blue handled box with six compartments, four hundred mixed pieces, and two green baseplates that slid into place as the lid – imagination thumping, who would I become?!
Lego took on an important role in my formative years, and has left a lasting impression throughout adulthood. In childhood I traversed the Lego collections from limitless vision 545 to intricate systems and working models – including System, Technic, and Electric. I gained a deepened understanding for vision, mechanics and engineering as I created models that intersected form and function, and I nurtured an investigatory mind. Each set proposed a unique outcome that required different skills and provided a unique learning experience.
“Zen, in the shape of a brick.”
Lego DK | Abha Bhattarai | WashingtonPost | Lego sets sights on a stressed out market
Dubbed a new mindfulness approach, Lego, allows us to retrain our brains through creative and risk-free joy by focussing on a single task whilst utilising our mind-body connection – it’s about striking a balance between mental focus and relaxation.
In 2019 I rebuilt Castle 6048 and the experience was entirely different to that of what I had remembered: the instructions seemed more vague or perhaps it was that my deductive imagination less powerful. After years of not playing with Lego, or indeed any sort of hand-brain problem solving, I began to ask myself whether I had misremembered the experience or had weakened those neuro-pathways in myself ?!
”LEGO for brain power can improve the way we look and think about things“
Nikita P. | Why Lego are great for your brain
Lego affords us opportunities to play amongst learning experiences with perspective, problem solving, imagination, concentration, productive freedom, and beyond. As children we are far more open to experiences but as we enter unrelenting adulthood the world‘s imposing restrictions, juxtaposed to its results orientated value system, leads to the dulling of our once visionary neuro pathways. The old phrase “it’s just like riding a bicycle” is an homage to neuroplasticity and for me Lego, and lego-like play, is now the best brick since two wheels.
A little regular play can make a lot of difference: what’s your serious play?