THE BENEFITS OF PLAY IS THE WAY® GAMES

The PLAY IS THE WAY® program assists teachers to guide children beyond the simple pleasures of playing the games to the character building benefits that can be achieved.

Guided by informed teachers/facilitators, the PLAY IS THE WAY® games: 

• help children to develop and habituate patterns of behavior that are socially responsible and culturally appropriate.
• teach children to respond appropriately to the thrill of success and the disappointment of failure. To enjoy competition with good grace and consideration for the other side.
• assist children to control impulsive behavior and defer the need for immediate gratification as they strive for long term benefits and goals.
• encourage children to use their skills to advantage others in the pursuit of common objectives. The games strengthen the skills of teamwork and cooperation and help children to build strong relationships.
• initiate a process of self-awareness and discovery. The games create a shared body of experience that is used to build up relationships within the group and to develop the group.
• create a common awareness and language with which to discuss the processes of human action and interaction. The games foster empathy, respect and an appreciation of difference.
• engage children’s emotions and call for the regulation of those emotions to achieve success. By being challenging, the games develop self-motivation and perseverance. They help children to identify the reasons for failure and build optimism and resilience.
• require effort and application. The games help children to understand the value of process in the pursuit of success.
• act as metaphors, similes and analogies for life and by playing these games children hone the skills that help them to live, learn, work and play well.
• improve the social, emotional, physical and mental health of children. 
• are a brain compatible way of developing learning behaviors.

PLAY IS THE WAY® creator Wilson McCaskill plays Piccadilly Circus, one of the programs most popular games, with a group of year 4/5 students.