The Art of Play: Helping Adults Reclaim Imagination and Spontaneity

Imaginative role playing is a natural process that can be utilized in adulthood as a recreational form, in addition to its applications in educational and therapeutic contexts. In The Art of Play, Adam and Allee Blatner present a systematic method for developing skills in improvisational play. They discuss the benefits and psychodynamics of this innate channel of vitality, and offer critical examinations of the commonly held beliefs that inhibit the playful impulse. Vignettes of the authors' sessions and an extensive bibliography highlight the text.The Art of Play presents a context for exploration that is free from psychological analysis or pressures to perform competitively. Scenes from the participants' imaginations are enacted using psychodramatic techniques -- a method that serves as a valuable tool for promoting playfulness between couples, with families, among friends, and in a variety of group activities.As a result, The Art of Play is an important resource for professionals in many fields, including psychotherapy, theater arts, group dynamics, recreation, gerontology, and education."The book is logically organized, easy to read, and based on scientific fact. Since elements of play offer an approach to many things, virtually every reader will find something interesting and useful.... it is so much fun, caution is urged: reading this could be habit-forming!" -- American Association for Therapeutic Humor