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Welcome to the month of June when Summer is officially ushered in and our Summer Reading Program takes off!

Summer is as good a time as any to think about play and having fun. We all need more of it.

Dr. Stuart Brown, who has been  studying, talking, and writing about play for decades is the founder of the National Institute for Play. He wrote the book, Play: How it shapes the brain, opens the imagination, and invigorates the soul. In it he identifies eight play personalities:

    • The Joker, who expresses play through silliness and joking (e.g., telling jokes, being goofy).
    • The Kinesthete, who expresses play through movement (e.g., dancing, hiking).
    • The Explorer, who expresses play through exploration and adventure (e.g., learning about new ideas).
    • The Competitor, who expresses play through rule-based games with opportunities to win (e.g., board games, organized sports).
    • The Director, who expresses play through planning and making things happen (e.g., cooking).
    • The Collector, who expresses play through collecting objects and experiences (e.g., visiting all the national parks).
    • The Artist, who expresses play through creating and building (e.g., photography, carpentry).
  • The Storyteller, who expresses play through imagination, reading and theatre.

What is your play personality or personalities? What would happen if you expressed it more often?

It is easy to become overwhelmed by today’s headlines. Sometimes it is good to pause and play. Play is a way to set aside our worries for a moment – or two or three – to relax, refresh and reinvigorate ourselves. Sometimes play is the reset button we need at the moment.  

Play helps us remember that life is a great gift to be enjoyed. Laura Ingalls Wilder, author of the Little House on the Prairie series, writes that “I am beginning to learn that it is the sweet, simple things in life which are the real ones after all.”

We certainly hope to see you around this summer. Participate in our Summer Reading Program and its different activities for a fun, playful way to spend part of your summer. Reading is the form of play I most enjoy.

As always, thanks for the many ways you offer your support to the Andover Public Library. May you have a relaxing, fun, play-filled summer.

Sincerely,

Nancy Logan, Director

Books Suggestions: