A designer, educator, and play expert calls for adults to add more fun, exploration, and imagination to their lives

We’re all born playful. But when we grow up, we learn to suppress this critical, hardwired instinct and our lives become ruled by “getting things done.” As world-famous designer Cas Holman explains, this disconnection from our playful selves is hazardous to everything from our emotional wellbeing to our ability to problem solve and innovate. The emerging science of play shows that it sparks joy, wonder, creativity, and insight at any age. It is through play that we shape our identities and continue to evolve at every stage of our lives.

We think we’re making room for play we join a pickup sports game, catch a new movie, or go out to dinner for fun. But here, Holman advocates for a deeper level of “free play” through open-ended, unstructured activities that we become absorbed in with no obvious goal or purpose. The ways we can play are endless and what recharges us most is unique to each of us: whether it’s a piece of art we create, an entertaining conversation with a stranger, or an experiment to shake up a task we take for granted. Holman shows us how to adopt a playful mindset and incorporate everyday moments of play into all areas of our lives so that we can destress, recharge, connect with each other, and grow as creative individuals. The power of play can buffer us in bleak times, and it can make our working lives far more fulfilling, helping us explore without fear of failure and consider new ways of thinking.

Playful draws on psychology, history, art, and design thinking to make a powerful case for the vital importance of play for grown-ups in a world obsessed with productivity. Provocative, wise, and full of spirit, it will inspire you to (re) learn how to play.