The Principles of Play

Principle 1
Play is a source of creative energy, a positive force and safe context for constructing meaningful self-knowledge and revitalizing the human spirit across the continuum of the human life-cycle.

Principle 2
Hands-on play and art making with open ended materials reconnect the individual with earlier stages of human development, spontaneously balancing and strengthening, hope, will, purpose, competence, fidelity, love, care, and wisdom.

Principle 3
The play space is a state of being which is self-constructed or co-constructed based on the players’ previous experiences and their perceptions of the levels of safety and trust leading into the play space.

Principle 4
Experiences within the play space elicits strong affect toward the play space such as feelings of protectiveness, a yearning to return, and desire for further exploration of higher levels of understanding and self-awareness.

Principle 5
The creative energy released within the play space is accelerated as players assume new pretend roles and as players thrill in discovering “Who will I be next?” and “What will I do next?”

Principle 6
Play is a source of energy for rekindling love, passion, intimate relationships with other people and between players. These feelings are pervasive not just isolated to the play space but rather move forward as the player moves beyond the play space in their realities.

Principle 7
Play’s intrinsic qualities include spontaneity of the spirit, thinking deeply, feeling intensely and building a trust in one’s intuitive self.