The great narratives of religion and nationhood were battered in the twentieth century by the dual forces of globalization and postmodernism. In the uncertainty of broken traditions, many people looking for God retreated into a regressive fundamentalism, and others abandoned themselves to nihilism and cynicism. But is there another way? In this volume, esteemed sociologist and therapist Mark W. Teismann offers a fresh approach to spiritual pursuits, one that neither relies upon absolutes nor leaves seekers in a void of disbelief. This approach is to consider the exercise of spirituality as a type of play. Teismann takes the reader on a whirlwind ride through the different aspects of play and how they relate to spirituality. Teismann draws on classical philosophers, memories of childhood, developmental science, poets, and his long career as a psychotherapist to create a deep understanding of how the spirit of play informs our moral pursuits and spiritual yearnings. A conclusion and epilogue summarize the book’s tenets and touch on Mark Teismann’s battle with cancer and how the practices of meditation and play accompanied him on his spiritual journey in the context of an incurable disease. The book’s appendix gives interested readers a detailed description of how to approach the practice of meditation.

In this witty, scholarly book edited by his two sons, Professor Rudolph Altrocchi introduces some of the worlds most skillful and humorous authors whose purpose was to enrich our lives through smiles and laughter, guided by a playful spirit, the key ingredient of high quality humor. Altrocchi, an American citizen born and brought up in Italy, graduated from Harvard, earned his Ph.D. at Harvard and taught at Harvard, Columbia, Chicago and Brown before becoming Chairman of the Dept. of Italian at Berkeley from 1928 to 1949, creating the largest and best Italian Department in the country. Professor Altrocchis captivatingly humorous analysis focuses not only on humor in Italian culture and literature but also on basic elements of humor in the human species.

A Playful Path, the new book by games guru and fun theorist Bernard De Koven, serves as a collection of ideas and tools to help us bring our playfulness back into the open. When we find ourselves forgetting the life of the game or the game of life, the joy of form or the content, the play of brain or mind, body or spirit, this book can help us return to that which our soul is heir.

This book provides philosophical, political and practical insights that open ways for the university in going beyond its tightly controlled state and into more playful and imaginative futures. In the context of a marketised and regulated environment that stifles creativity and curiosity in higher education, this collection provides an antidote that lies in the potential of play. It identifies tactics and tools for playful practices to conjure real utopias and pathways for the present and possible futures. Pulling together global perspectives from a wide array of different disciplines including higher education, sociology, philosophy, media studies, design, literature, play studies, game studies and political science, it concludes with a collaborative chapter that offers philosophically and theoretically grounded principles for the playful university. The book shows that it is possible to reimagine a higher education in which students and staff approach their studies with a sense of purpose, care, and openness to explore, imagine and build a better future. Looking beyond pedagogy to imagination, and wonder as important perspectives within the university, this is an essential read for those interested in play and subversion in higher education.

Bedtime Stories For Kids-Short Bedtime Stories Series Do you want to make your child fall asleep faster at night? Do you want your child to learn mindfulness while reading beautiful short stories? In this book, you will find a collection of stories written to help children enter a place of dreams and eventually drift off to sleep. These stories are intended to stir their imaginations in such a way that the transition from fantasy and adventure into dreamland will be a seamless one. Best of all, your children will be able to get a good night’s sleep and wake up feeling refreshed and happy. The chapters are designed to take you and your family on an exciting adventure through different situations, laden with imagination and surprises, while also attempting to disseminate valuable lessons about important principles, such as family, home, wrongdoing, and numerous other themes. While each story is unique, the underlying purpose of each remains the same: to confer on readers some degree of insight into moral behaviour and proper conduct. Through the careful application of allegory, the stories contained herein are intended not only to engage and captivate but also to serve as thought-provoking tools by which your children might avail themselves of one of mankind’s most powerful attributes: thoughtfulness and self-reflection. In addition, each story uses colourful and imaginative characters, settings, and situations to create an environment that will not only help children become interested in the story itself but also serve as a vehicle to convey a moral lesson. Plus, the stories in this book seek to create traditions and memories that will create everlasting moments that your children will treasure for the rest of their lives. These are the kind of moments that your children will surely love to share with their children someday, too. So, let’s jump right in and take a trip into a magical world from which your children will drift off in their sleep. Don’t be surprised if they don’t want to wake up after having such beautiful dreams. Dreamland is a cherished place for children of all ages. After all, it is a place where kids can truly let their imaginations flourish. This book includes: Bedtime stories that will truly captivate the young mind of your child Fun stories about animals, adventures, and legends A valuable lesson for each story In addition: They will put down their phones. This is a good way to encourage your child to go to sleep by listening to the scripts. Each story will enhance your child’s imagination and thinking. And Much More... Are you excited? Do you want to read more? Would you like your child to learn and relax, falling asleep in peace? Get our book now!

Shows teachers how and why they should bring play into the classroom to make learning meaningful, relevant, and fun. Research studies show that all students—young and old, rich and poor, urban and rural—benefit immensely from classrooms filled with art, creativity, and laughter. Fun, playfulness, creative thinking, and individual expression reinforce positive experiences, which in turn lead to more engaged students, better classroom environments, and successful learning outcomes. Designed for K-12 educators, The Playful Classroom describes how teachers can develop a playful mindset for giving students meaningful, relevant and fun learning experiences. This unique real-world guide provides you with everything you need to incorporate engaging, hands-on lessons and creative activities, regardless of the level and subject you teach. Building on contemporary and seminal works on learning theory and play pedagogy, the authors explain how to inspire your students by bringing play. into your classroom. This clear, user-friendly guide supplies practical strategies and effective solutions for adding the missing ingredients to your classroom culture. Access to the authors’ companion website provides videos, learning experiences, and downloadable teaching and learning resources. Packed with relatable humor, proven methods, and valuable insights, this book enables you to: Provide meaningful experiences that will benefit students both in school and later in life Combine the principles of PLAY with traditional curricula to encourage creative learning Promote trust, collaboration, and growth in students Develop a playful mindset for bringing the arts into every lesson Foster critical thinking in any school community The Playful Classroom: The Power of Play for All Ages is a must-have resource for K-12 educators, higher education professionals, and readers looking for education-based professional development and training resources.

Do you find yourself wanting more out of life? It’s time to bring play to your every day Play is not just for kids! There are many reasons we need play in our lives. The Playful Life shows you why and how to bring more playfulness to all aspects of your life. You’ll explore how to create meaningful, relevant, and fun experiences for yourself and others through both a playful mindset and playful behaviors. Through research and 20+ years of teaching children and adults, authors Dr. Julie Jones and Jed Dearybury have found that play is not only fun, it’s essential to a full life. In this book, they share their knowledge and inspire you to reflect on the need for connection and joy for healthy living through play. This book will equip you with new definitions, ideas, and ways of thinking about play for your daily life. With a relaxed tone, comical banter, and real talk, the authors encourage new understandings about what play is and empower you to make more playful choices. If you strive to find balance, overcome stress, and enjoy each day through play—The Playful Life is a must read for your life journey! Learn what play means and why it’s so essential to our everyday lives—at every age Discover the incredible benefits of play to your physical and mental health Get ideas for incorporating play into your everyday life at work, at home, or when you’re out and about Begin healing past traumas and grow into the person you are meant to be—through play and playful living! Building on the popular book The Playful Classroom, this is a new and exciting take on what play does for all of us-- physically, socially, emotionally, and cognitively.

Game design is a sibling discipline to software and Web design, but they're siblings that grew up in different houses. They have much more in common than their perceived distinction typically suggests, and user experience practitioners can realize enormous benefit by exploiting the solutions that games have found to the real problems of design. This book will show you how.

Playful Wisdom examines how Henry David Thoreau’s thinking about religious “play” created a theological legacy in American literature—one that includes Emily Dickinson, Jack Kerouac, Thomas Merton, Annie Dillard, and Marilynne Robinson. Although these writers differ in many ways, they share with Thoreau an improvisational “looseness” or “mobility” in their thinking about the sacred, a sense that religious experience unsettles fixed belief and alters the very shape of the perceiving self. From this perspective, Robert Leigh Davis argues, unswerving orthodoxy is not as crucial to a life of faith as a light-handed responsiveness of spirit that constantly revises fixed assumptions in light of new experiences. Dickinson describes this responsiveness as “nimble believing” and Thoreau calls it “holy play.” Scholars of literature, religion, and philosophy will find this book particularly useful.