Tell Us About Play
Posted on by Debbie

Tell Us About…Play

Tell Us About…

Tell Us About…is a new monthly opportunity for bloggers to showcase their creativity. It started in January 2023 with the prompt of Time and each month one of the co-hosts choose the word to focus on.

On the third Thursday of every month we’ll respond to the prompt “Tell Us About XXX” which could be absolutely anything. And how we respond is also wide open.  It could be a blog post with our opinions or reminiscences; a poem,  photos, a short story or whatever takes your fancy – it could even be a mix of all these!

It was my turn to choose the prompt for February and

I chose the word PLAY

All about PLAY

One meaning of PLAY that I like the sound of is:

to exercise or employ oneself in diversion, amusement, or recreation

To my mind PLAY is associated with fun, it’s something I enjoy doing, whether it be:

  • in a playground, with or without my grandchildren 🙂
  • playing with words – blogging is a great example
  • taking photos is all about playing with a camera or phone and then playing around with editing and social media
  • riding my bike is considered a play activity as I use it for recreation and amusement as well as fitness
  • playing with my grandkids is the BEST way to have fun
  • exploring the world around me is a great way to play
  • I love having music playing throughout the house, usually with the volume turned up
  • I enjoy watching others play games or sports
  • we often play board games when the family gets together
  • One of my 4 year-old granddaughter’s favourite games at the moment, is What’s the time Mrs Wolf? and she could play for hours! Then there’s hide and seek, peekaboo, climbing on Granny
  • Playing at a trampoline park – so much fun and a great workout!

Here are just a few photos of me playing – at the beach with my granddaughter Emilia, getting stuck in the kid’s tunnel, with my grandkids Emilia and Patrick, in the sand pit, playing music at the park, in a child’s tent, on the swings with my grandson Patrick, at Australia Zoo wrangling a crocodile with a cardboard cutout Steve Irwin, with Dottie at The Wild Place. So much JOY!!!

Playing with my granddaughter
Granny Debs playing with grandchildren
Playing in the sandpit
Playing in the park - Debbie
Playing in a pink princess tent
Granny Debs and Patrick
Crikey! Playing with Steve Irwin
Posing was fun

Playing isn’t only for kids – oh no, no! Play is a form of expression, learning to take risks, experimenting and finding a path. To my mind if you give up playing because you think you’re too old, then you really are too old. What’s that quote?

We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.

George Bernard Shaw

This quote is one of my many mantras for life. I have seen it happen so many times with friends and relatives. They think they shouldn’t get down and play with the kids or maybe they can’t due to health or mobility issues or it’s not the right thing to do for someone their age – but they’re the ones missing out!! It actually fits in very well with my post for Tell Us About…Time last month, we only have a certain amount of time in this world and playing isn’t a waste of time!

Many of my family do daily word or number puzzles, and my husband is addicted to Worldle where you have to guess which country is shown. We play games when our family gets together and our kids all played a variety of sport when they were growing up.

I sometimes play at being a confident, competent and clever midlife woman in her 60s, when inside I feel like I’m still about 35!

Family Photo challenges

Over the past few years many of my family have connected through a weekly photo challenge, the latest being a Word a Week, where one of us picks a word and we share our photos on that topic in our family – Facebook group. Every Sunday night we get together online for about 30 minutes and catchup on the news and go through the photos we’ve all shared. It’s a great way to stay connected and was very beneficial during the lockdown periods, as none of us live close to each other.

It just so happens that the word for last week was PLAY and it was interesting to see the various interpretations:

  • There was a photo of the tennis being played on TV
  • a play station game
  • a video player with the PLAY button as the focus
  • my husband starred in a play a few years ago so he shared a photo of some of his props
  • playing on a giant slide
  • kids playing
  • a kangaroo hopping over the fence, we decided it didn’t want to play
  • grandkids playing dressups
  • a new playhouse in the park in town
  • a record player
  • books of sudoku and word games
  • a real magpie trying to engage a steel silhouette of a kookaburra on the fence to play

All great interpretations of the word PLAY.

Play house at the park
magpie and kookaburra on fence
Playing on the slide

What is ‘Tell Us About…’ about?

Five bloggers from the UK, US and Australia launched a new monthly blog series in January 2023, called “Tell Us About…” with the aim of unleashing your creativity. January’s prompt was Time, and the prompt for this month is Play.

We encourage you to “play along” and write your own post around this prompt. Interpret it any way you please, with a reminiscence, an opinion, photos, a poem, a story or whatever inspires you.

We are:

Our posts go live on the third Thursday of each month. There is a linky at the end of my post, which you can join, and you’re encouraged to spend some time exploring what others have written and leave a comment if you feel like it. I hope you can join us!

Tell Us About Play
Tell Us About Play

Posts from our co-hosts

Gail ( Is This Mutton)  opts for The Play’s the Thing and her thwarted ambitions to be a childhood sensation. 

Gail a Christmas carol
Gail a Christmas carol

Mary Katherine (MK’s Adventures in Style),  took a stroll down Memory Lane as she thought about how she played as a little girl.

Liddle Kiddles
Liddle Kiddles

Michelle (Following My Muse) – Society tends to regard play as necessary for children and frivolous for adults. But they are wrong. It’s necessary for adults too.

bubbles
bubbles

Penny and Jill will post later when they’re feeling better.

And my post which you’re currently reading 🙂 – Play is an essential part of Deb’s life. She never plans to stop playing as that would be admitting she’s given up!

Final thoughts

What are your thoughts on this topic and how do you play?

Thanks for visiting and hopefully you’ll be inspired to join in!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter
https://fresh.inlinkz.com/js/widget/load.js?id=c0efdbe6b4add43dd7ef

Smiles 🙂

Deb xx

Coming Up Soon:

  • What’s on Your Bookshelf #WOYBS – Friday 17/2/23
  • What’s Been on Your Calendar #WBOYC – Friday 24/2/23

Recent posts from Deb’s World

You can also find Deb’s World in lots of other places – stay in touch by clicking any of the buttons below.

Debbie in rock chick mode

Everyone has a story to tell! Deb is a young-at-heart & active 60+ blogger/retiree, after being made redundant from her 22-year career managing education programs in a men’s correctional centre (jail). She now spends her time reading, blogging, riding her ebike and travelling. Deb was awarded a Bravery Award from the Queen when she was 17 after a tragic accident – a definite life changing moment! She is married with 3 grown-up daughters & has 4 grandchildren. She never imagined being Granny Debs would bring so much joy to her life! You can read more of Deb’s story here

Copyright © 2023 debs-world.com – All rights reserved

46 Replies to “Tell Us About…Play”

    1. Thanks Gail, GBS sounds like a very wise man 🙂 Our family photo challenge is always fun and a good way to stay in touch as we’re all spread out over the country and around the world. It’s not often about the skills as a photographer but how we see the word of the week and how we portray it.

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  2. I also really like that George Bernard Shaw quote. I just turned 49 but inside I feel like 25. My version of play is to learn things and try new things… my running, music and photography endeavours are my play. I totally believe that the day I think I’m too old to learn something new, then I’ll grow old.
    That huge yellow slide looks super fun!

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    1. Thanks Susanne, the quote really appeals to me too and I like to play as often as I can. It makes me smile 🙂 I’ve been playing around with photography lately too, doing a short course with a local photographer. The slide was very popular!

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    1. Thanks Suzy! I’m very serious about my ‘play’ and make sure we have fun as well :). Our photo challenges are a great way to stay connected and we use our creative side of the brain as well.

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  4. Hi, Debbie – I wholeheartedly agree that play is essential for young and old alike. I love the different takes that you and your cohosts each took on this prompt.
    BTW – Richard and I are also Wordle addicts. We play as a team each morning at breakfast. He always chooses the opening word. Somehow that is the rule! 😀

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    1. Wordle and all the other games (Contexto is the latest ) makes Grant’s life fun, although sometimes he is almost tearing his hair out he’s having so much fun :). Life is more fun when you play and it’s as simple as that in my book, and yours!

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  6. Such a fun theme! I wrote a post years ago all about play when I was homeschooling my boys. A local children’s museum plastered signs all about the importance of play and I was so taken with them all that I photographed them and wrote up a whole post inspired them. BUT I still like to play; in fact I have one last blog post to read before I’m heading off to “play” with my crafting supplies and make up a few more scrapbooking pages.

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  8. I saw this post title and had to read it! Your subject is singing my song as you know, Debbie! I was blessed to work for 30+ years in parks and recreation providing opportunities for leisure and play! When I taught college students (non-majors) why play was important, they almost died from happiness when I illuminated what constitutes play (almost anything). You are the perfect host for this and again our similarities are spot-on! Best wishes on your new writing challenge!

    In fact this image demonstrates spontaneous play–every semester we did this, I never saw 80 more happily smiling college students!

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  10. I agree with George Bernard Shaw! And it’s clear that you and your family have taken it to heart. Your post demonstrates what a bonding experience play is as well. For me playing is quilting, making jewelry, painting, going for rides on the Harley with my husband, gardening. My husband plays – motorcycles and cars. Great post, Deb!

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  15. When I saw the prompt for this month, I knew which of the Let’s Talk About hosts had selected it…had to be YOU!! You are so playful in my mind. I remember your woty JUMP and how you jumped for joy, jumped in puddles, jumped from January to December, embracing life.
    So many of your play-filled activities echo mine. The time spent playing with grandbabies is so special. Can’t imagine not getting on the floor with them!!
    Have always admired your family photo challenges. Would love to get my bunch to do something similar. Maybe when PC retires and we can spend more ‘down’ time together. Great interpretations of the word PLAY.
    Can’t wait to see what you gals have for us in March. Hope to get my book reviews up today for What’s on My Shelf.

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    1. Haha I love that you picked it as me who chose Play Leslie, that made me smile! I feel the same way about play as you do and can see many similarities in us. It looks like Scent is the next word for March, so get those smelling salts out!

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  16. Debbie, Thank you for your #weekendcoffeeshare. Coincidentally, I was quoting the same G.B. Shaw post this week when I commented on Donna’s blog. Great examples of Play and how you incorporate Play in your family life. Have a playful and fun-filled week!

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  17. Deb you’re becoming the Queen of Link Parties! Loved all your interpretations of “Play” and the coincidence of Sue’s WOTY tying in with last month’s theme. And nothing beats grandkids for rekindling your interest in play (it’s nice for me to be able to get down on the floor again to join in).

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    1. Yes I think I’ll become the Queen of Link Parties Leanne :). Playing with the grandkids is a great way to rekindle that playful spirit and they keep us moving which I think is one of the main things as we get older. Thanks 🙂

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  19. I’m a big fan of that quote – infact I have a post on that. Will find to link up. I think it’s a real shame we stop playing as we get older. I’ve lately been doing these scavenger hunts and murder mystery dinners that I used to do in my 20’s. I’ve no idea why I stopped…I just need to find people to rope into it with me….#WWandP

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  20. Lovely lovely playful post Debbie. Laughing and thinking that only you would be capable of smiling while ‘playing’ with a crocodile – ably assisted by Steve Irwin himself 😊 Cathy #WWandP

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  21. What a fun idea for a link up! I love that George Bernard Shaw quote and all your great examples of play. Thanks for the reminder that we’re never too old to play! In fact, I think if we all played a little more and worked/stressed a little less, the world would be a much better place 🙂

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  22. I know I discovered my ability to play again once grandkids came into our lives…been over 26 years now. I tend to play as I create art and walk on the beach…Great reminder to us all…to PLAY more! Thank you for joining in this week’s link up for Wednesday’s Words and Pics. Next week I will be in ‘moving house’ mode, so no link up. All being well, the link up will be back on 8 March. Denyse.

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