The benefits of playful curiosity

Is play ‘just for children’? Find out in this article exploring the theories and science behind playful curiosity, with Julia Hancock.

When I  talk about being playful, many of you will be considering a world away from the serious business of work and learning, times when rest and recuperation come to mind, or more sadly, you may think of it as something for younger generations. Certainly the Oxford English Dictionary definition may support this in terms of confining play to ‘leisure time’. You may also be wondering when you were last playful or reflecting on family time. Others may associate the word playful with negative connotations, as being superficial, shallow and not taking things seriously. None of these are surprising, as the definitions are wide, and cultural and social expectations can inhibit play as something for our ‘spare time’, rather than linked to more purposeful activity.

However, if we consider our young people as role models, it becomes more apparent how playfulness is an integral and useful approach to development and how relevant it is to all of us, particularly in light of the serious issues we face in the world right now.

What do theorists say?

Learning theorists have, over many years, recognised the importance of playful interaction and exploration as being central to child development and cognition, enabling children to develop understanding in these ways. Dewey1 and Froebel 2 both asserted the importance of play and hands-on exploration as central to learning. Piaget3, Bruner4, Vygotsky5, and the constructivists also considered how learning is constructed through playful enquiry – with Vygotsky considering this closely in terms of its integral role in development of language.

A host of other theorists have considered play from a range of perspectives, but anyone who has interacted with children or spent time in early years classrooms will understand the relevance of play, considering the ‘what ifs?’ and discovering through interaction with concrete experience. It’s also essential in creating safety, places for things to go wrong and rebuild – scaffolding resilience in the face of challenge. Play is a world when we can try and find out, or explore options and enjoy ourselves.

Bruner’s theory of learning and stages of development also support the significance of playing with concrete or enactive experience to enable the development of more iconic and symbolic representation of ideas and a more generalised or abstract application of ideas and concepts. 4 If this is a key model for learning, surely this is as relevant to an adult’s learning as a child’s. I’m sure many of our inventors and scientists would advocate for playing with ideas and options.

In the development of new ideas, or our own schemas, enactive, playful curiosity can enable us to use what we already think, explore new ways of knowing or being within a culture of growth mindset and resilience. Playing with ideas frees us from initial judgement and therefore allows creative possibilities without the inhibiting factor of fear. When the stakes are high and we fear failure, then our nervous system becomes hyper-vigilant.

What does the science say?

If we consider a concept from the perspective of playfulness in the sense of exploration, without judgement or fear, this gives us permission to explore. In terms of our nervous system, we activate the parasympathetic nervous system where we can feel connected, safe and joyful. We know this allows the pre- frontal cortex, the part of our brain that does the thinking, to fire up and work well.

When this occurs, our hyper-vigilance subsides. Playfulness injects dopamine (the happy hormone) into our system and we calm feelings of stress, dissipating the levels of cortisol in the system and shifting attention to more pleasant and optimistic emotions.

This is especially key for those of us holding prolonged trauma or operating with high levels of cortisol in our systems. When we’re in a sympathetic nervous state, we may find ourselves pushing beyond safe levels of challenge to verging on fight or flight. Our brain is wired to look for threats, so we see the more negative issues more often than the positives. Managing uncertainty or crisis can impact negatively on our mental health, as well as our ability to make clear decisions and respond with deliberate action. This can eventually lead to burnout, where freeze or shutdown kicks in. The dorsal state takes over and our limbic system is engaged, stimulating a range of emotional responses. We simply cannot go on.

Suddenly, playfulness becomes a more serious business. We need it, and it shouldn’t just be reserved for the weekends or holidays.

​Deeper learning opportunities

If we link this to curiosity, a desire to know or find out, then we’re creating the conditions for deep learning. When we create curiosity, we instantly remove judgement, we begin to create options, and this facilitates creative exploration. In doing so, this can enable us to refine ideas, develop new ones and discover clear insights.

What I’m considering is deep, emotionally engaged learning, where risk-taking, reflection and discovery open up a world of new perspectives. With playful curiosity, we can meet the world where it is, suspend judgement for a while and consider the options and opportunities. When we’re in the optimum state to learn, interaction with ideas and others can really enable us to extend our own learning. We can also promote resilience through the ability to adapt and generate options and select the most efficient or appropriate for our purpose. This can also fuel determination to succeed, enable us to manage the pressure to stress continuum and develop the ability to adapt, be versatile and more robust.

Playful curiosity can enable us to thrive, to recognise our strengths and develop the skills and behaviours or attributes to develop as a whole person, with independent strategies and ownership of our own learning.

​As a teacher, this was always at the heart of my approach to learning, but its importance to me when working with adults has never been more prevalent. In my work as a resilient leaders coach, as well as working with trainees and leadership teams, I’ve realised that it’s never been more crucial for us to be able to manage the pressure to stress continuum. Understanding ourselves and staying curious about our environment and those we interact with, can enable leadership with playful curiosity; leading with love, humanity and authenticity to develop boundless possibilities for ourselves and those we serve.

References

1. Dewey, John, Democracy and Education (New York: MacMillan, 1916),
2.  “Froebel’s Educational Principles,” The Elementary School Record, Number Five, Kindergarten (June 1900)
3. Piaget, J. (1962). Play, dreams and imitation in childhood. Norton.
4. Bruner, J. S. (1966). Toward a theory of instruction, Cambridge, Mass.: Belkapp Press.
5. Vygotsky, L. S. (2016). Play and its role in the mental development of the child (with Introduction and Afterword by N. Veresov and M. Barrs, Trans.). International Research in Early Childhood Education, 7(2), 3–25.
6. Kaste, A M (2024)’Writing by hand activates more areas of the brain than typing on a keyboard’ Available at: https://www.sciencenorway.no/education-keyboard-skills-psychology/writing-by-hand-activates-more-areas-of-the-brain-than-typing-on-a-keyboard/2320808
7. Alice Mado Proverbio and Alberto Zani: Neuroscience and MNS: Social and Affective Neuroscience of Everyday Human Interaction: From Theory to Methodology  Chapter 5 Mirror Neurons in Action: ERPs and Neuroimaging Evidence https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37988510/
8.  The human mirror neuron system: A link between action observation and social skills Lindsay M. Oberman,corresponding author1,2 Jaime A. Pineda,3,4 and Vilayanur S. Ramachandran1,2,3 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18985120/