Play for Health Across the Lifespan : Stories from the Seven Ages of Play - Julia Whitaker

Play for Health Across the Lifespan

Stories from the Seven Ages of Play

By: Julia Whitaker, Alison Tonkin

Hardcover | 18 May 2021

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Play for Health Across the Lifespan

uses case studies to explore the impact of play and creativity on health and wellbeing throughout the lifecycle. While play at the start of life influences future development, the authors show play also has a role in improving prospects for health and wellbeing in adulthood and later life.

A relational approach to health and wellbeing emphasizes the dynamic, mutually influential relationship between individual development and the changing contexts of our lives. Our personal play history is one feature of this dynamic process, and this book explores how the experience of play throughout the life course sculpts and resculpts the shape of our lives: our physical health, our mental wellbeing, and our relationship to the people and the world around us. Storytelling has been used since the beginning of time to communicate important life lessons in an engaging way. Taking inspiration from Shakespeare's 'Seven Ages of Man', the book uses a case-story approach to differentiate the stages of development and to present evidence for how play and playful experiences impact on health and wellbeing from birth to the end of life in the context of temporal and situational change. Each chapter in Play for Health Across the Lifespan introduces relevant evidence-based research on play and health, before presenting several narrative 'case stories', which illustrate the application of play theory and the neuroscience of play as they relate to each life stage.

With contributions from specialists in health and education, community organizations and the creative and performing arts, this book will appeal to academics, students, and practitioners who are interested in exploring the role of play in addressing contemporary challenges to our physical, mental, and social health.

Industry Reviews

'Play is a vital element for lifelong health, well-being and learning. This whistlestop tour of its role in human development is conveyed through a highly readable combination of scholarly narrative and illuminating anecdotes. It is an outstanding achievement, with significant implications for our society and culture, which should be read by all practitioners and policymakers in health, education and social services.'

Sue Palmer, author of Toxic

Childhood and Chair of Upstart Scotland.

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