Adults at play – new journal launched

The ‘Journal of Play in Adulthood’ adds to the increasing research in the field of adult playfulness

PLAY and playfulness are good for grown-ups too, and a new academic journal will take a serious look at the subject.

Titled the Journal of Play in Adulthood, it is to be published by the University of Huddersfield and edited by Andrew Walsh, an academic librarian who is also an innovative educationalist and recipient of a prestigious National Teaching Fellowship.

He is currently assembling material for the inaugural edition of the journal, which aims to provide a multidisciplinary forum dedicated to the discussion of play and playfulness in adults, explicitly distinguishing it from children’s play.

The Journal of Play in Adulthood will fill a gap, because it will deal with play disassociated from games, such as electronic gaming – the subject of many magazines.

“Taking a playful approach to things is just as valid as playing games,” said Mr Walsh, whose own teaching sessions might involve props such as Lego or Playdough.

The encouragement of creativity and teamwork – increasingly valued by employers – are among the advantages of playfulness, which is inherently social, he continued.

There is increasing research in the field of adult playfulness.  Andrew Walsh and the journal have links with conferences dealing with the subject, including Playful Learning, taking place in Leicester in July.  Mr Walsh will take a session titled Giving permission for playful learning, and it is likely that proceedings from the conference will be the basis of a special edition of the new journal.

Published online, it will be open access, probably issued twice a year by the University of Huddersfield Press.  There is an open call for contributions.