A look inside why PLAY is important, how PLAY patterns transcribe across platforms, and the future of PLAY.

1. Play Across Platforms
Translating Play Patterns
J. Alison Bryant, Ph.D.

2. We
research
&
develop
PLAY
in
all
forms
to
posi8vely
impact
kids
and
families.

3. Our Approach to Designing Cross-Platform Play

4. Prioritizing
Play

5. Why Play is Important
Play ! Play !
“lights up” ! fosters
our brain ! creativity!
Play is ! Play is !
Play is !
safe failure! learning ! exploring !
what I can be!
by doing!
Play lets us
Play !
attune to
teaches rules !
others !

6. Play for 21st Century Skills
• Critical Thinking &
Problem Solving
• Creativity & Innovation
• Communication,
Collaboration, & Conflict
Resolution
• Information/Media Literacy

7. Play is Universal
[A]ll children in all societies
appear to engage in activities
that would fulfill some of the
criteria of play … That is,
children explore and pretend
as a way of engaging with the
world. More importantly, play
everywhere is an ‘enculturing’
process – that is, a means
through which children learn
about their cultures.
(Hyder, 2005, p.21)

8. Understanding Play as “Glocal”
Local!
Locus of Play
Play Play as Themes
Development
Pretend
Play
Global! Role
Play
Play
Toy/
Instigation Play as Device-
Discovery based Play
Object
Use
Parental
Co-Play Play
Cessation

9. Play (n.)
Play (v.)

10. Play… …is
neither
inherently
good
nor
bad
…promotes
…is
voluntary
social
cohesion
…has
rules
…has
no
(and
can
material
consequences
handle
disorder)
Adapted from Johan Huizinga’s (1938) Homo Ludens: A Study of the Play-Element in Culture

11. Play in All Forms
Play
Structured Semi-­‐Structured
Un-structured
(Scaffolded
Play)
Sweet Spot

12. Platform-Agnostic Play
Construct
Imagine
Create
Move

13. Playing
Across
Platforms

14. Play Today
Borrowed from Laura Seargeant Richardson and Alis Cambol (frog design, http://www.fastcodesign.com/1662667/the-gleeve-turns-game-design-into-childs-play)

15. Extrinsic Motivation Intrinsic Motivation
“Gamification” does not always mean
an increase in engagement and learning.

16. The Digital “Play” Continuum
Play
Structured Semi-­‐Structured
Un-structured
(Scaffolded
Play)

17. Building Play for Tomorrow
Learning
Construct
Imagine
Construct
Imagine
Create
Move
Create
Move
Play
Structured Semi-­‐Structured
Un-structured
(Scaffolded
Play)

18. And Always Remember…
Play is
not only
for kids!

19. Thank You!
Let’s
Play!
J.
Alison
Bryant
alison@playsciencelab.com
www.playsciencelab.com
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