Education inadequate without playtime

Here's the most compelling argument I've yet heard in favor of more hands on play. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) has found (according to a book titled Play) that hiring top graduates from premier schools is no longer enough. Recent graduates often lack problem solving skills. They now ask potential employees about how they played as children and the hands on projects they did.

Linda Naiman, who blogged about Play: How It Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination and Invigorates the Soul by Stuart Brown and Christopher Vaughan, additionally makes a strong case for adults to find hobbies and make recreation a part of every day life, to play! According to Linda:

"...I use the arts in my work with organizations is because the collective voice of the inner critic quiets down, imagination comes to the fore, and feelings of well-being replace anxiety. Art in this context is a form of play which produces flow states in groups as well as individuals."

I write this as I prepare to head out the door for work.