Playful: How Play Shifts Our Thinking, Inspires Connection, and Sparks Creativity

Holman, Cas

ISBN 10: 0593713400 / ISBN 13: 9780593713402

Published by Avery, 2025

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Synopsis:

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.

About the Author: Cas Holman is the founder and chief designer of the toy company Heroes Will Rise and a former Professor of Industrial Design at RISD. Cas travels the globe speaking about early education, the design process, and the value of play in all aspects of life. She has shared her perspective in workshops and seminars with teams at Google, Nike, LEGO Foundation, Disney Imagineering, and more. Some of her designs include toys like Rigamajig and structures at the Highline and the Liberty Science center. Cas lives in New York City and designs from her studio in Brooklyn.

Bibliographic Details

Title: Playful: How Play Shifts Our Thinking, ...
Publisher: Avery
Publication Date: 2025
Binding: hardcover
Condition: Very Good