30 Jan The Mystery of Play at TEDx

Announcing TEDxNavesink PLAY

I’m happy to say that I’ll be there in Red Bank NJ on May 10 2014. for this unique event on the subject of PLAY. I’ll be one of two dozen presenters (list in formation). I titled my talk, “Unveiling the Mystery of How Play Helps Us to Grow at Any Age.” If you’re a regular reader you can anticipate some of what I’ll say. If you don’t know me, here’s a tease:

Babies and toddlers play their way to growth. They learn how to talk, draw, dance, even think, through playing at what they’re not yet—performing it before they know it. It’s their way of life. Lucky for us non-babies, the mystery of exactly why and how play is developmental has been revealed and put to use with adults! Across the globe, from board rooms to therapy rooms, from hospital wards to refugee camps, “play revolutionaries” are helping people and communities embrace play as a way to keep developing.

This is my first TED talk and I’m looking forward to it! I was a Great Challenge Advocate for the subject, “Deciding What’s Normal,” at the 2012 TEDMED at the Kennedy Center in DC. It was quite something  to attend the 2+ day event (for free) and experience dozens and dozens of speakers conforming to a specific structure and style. For the vast majority it worked, and their passion and ideas were in equal measure. Believe me, I’m going to work hard to make that happen in May!