'Serious About Play' - Weekly Reflection 3rd August 2025

'Shaun the Sheep’ has a cousin named Timmy who is young lamb and member of the flock and often finds himself in chaotic situations. (There is also a spin off called ‘Timmy Time’ where Timmy and his friends have various adventures. One key thing you quickly learn about Timmy is that he has a teddy bear to which he is devoted and in one episode when ‘teddy’ goes missing. No amount of cuddles or persuasion will make Timmy settle down for the night and go to sleep.

 Last week we spent the day with our grandchildren, James and William, now six-year-old. They both have favourite toys and ‘cuddlee’s’ – one of James’ is Princes Peach. (Mario) Time for bed and Princess Peach was nowhere to be found despite a desperate search around the house and through the toy box, she was not to be found, and we had one very sad little boy. Then the thought occurred to me, I had noticed James playing on his bike and on the back of his bike is a little box. Down into the garage and a look in the box and there she was, squished up in the little box. James and Princess Peach happily reunited.

Anyone who has been around me for some time knows how much I adore our grandchildren. I love playing games with them.  And children love adults joining in with their games. (The real charm of ‘Bluey’ is parents engaging and playing daft games with their children, Bluey and Bingo) *

Being holiday time the boys came over on Wednesday last which was a fine day. We spent the morning in town, and some time playing in the park. Then after lunch as we sat outside one of the boys decided he would help grandad and water the plants. He filled up the big red watering can and then found he couldn’t lift it. I am just watching this and seeing where it was going. Together the two boys managed to pick up the watering can, with water sploshing out, and then water some of the plants. I don’t know quite how but it all very quickly became chaotic and very wet when I joined in to help them. They decided I needed watering and it ended up with us all being very wet, and – well you get the idea! Fortunately, Nana was able to find them some dry clothes.

Why do I mention this, because playing is serious fun…  

The Raising the Nation Play Commission, a year-long independent inquiry into why play is critical to the wellbeing and development of children, and how it can be restored to every childhood in England published its final report on June 11th (International Day of Play.) ‘Everything to Play For: A Plan to Ensure Every Child in England Can Play’.

I would also argue that not only is playing good for children it is also great for adults to join in with the fun.  It bothers me a lot when you see parents glued to their phones and not interacting with their children. I think every grandparent will tell you that those precious childhood years, that can seem at the time to be for ever and sometimes deeply challenging, but they pass in a heartbeat. And you can’t have that time back, you are unable to turn the clock back as much as you would wish you could.

There is of course a much darker and sadder side to all of this. Those who get some perverted pleasure out of harming or abusing children. Those children such as we see in Gaza and in many other places who face trauma beyond our imaginings.

And, in the UK it is estimated that three in every ten children live in poverty. Many more are caught up in modern slavery, often in the sex industry.

One of the things about ‘Bluey’ is the play acting in which mum and dad join in. Children have such a wonderful imagination and require little prompting to get involved and take things to all sorts of levels.  Big cardboard boxes can become rockets, cars and boats.

And so yes, we are grieved to the heart about children deprived of opportunities to play, which is part of the findings of the report mentioned above.

However, if we have the opportunity then let us play with our children. Yes there will be times when they need to play alone, certainly as they get older and you tire more easily!

And yes that may be the time when as we sometimes do, we all flop down together to watch something on TV but never allowing that to dominate.

There is a curious little story in Mark 7.24-30 and Matthew 15.21-28, about Jesus going to Tyre and Sidon.  We often focus on the Syrophoenician woman and Jesus’ encounter with her. But with a bit of imagination could this have been Jesus taking the disciples off for a Mediterranean beach holiday away from it all up on the Northwest coast. It was some distance, around thirty-five miles from Galilee.

Is this Jesus taking some R&R with his disciples.  Can you allow yourself to imagine Jesus skimming stones, playing leapfrog along the beach, evening BBQs.  Well, if not, park your ‘all the time serious Jesus’ and enjoy imagining Jesus having some fun and playing.

And then we do know that Jesus had a fondness for children even if the very ‘serious adults’ wanted them not to bother him for which they earned a rebuke.

^‘When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to  me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.’

However, let me say that I have no rose-coloured spectacles when it comes to children. I know only too well about their tantrums, their noise and their smelliness at times!

And yes, children need to be schooled and disciplined, to know boundaries and what is and what isn’t acceptable behaviour.  In ministry I developed a skill set and equipment to run Games Session for children, young people and sometimes all age family gatherings.  Very often I looked for or designed games that had an underlying lesson that could be learned.  (As most ‘team games’ do as of a natural) I often said that I wasn't just playing games.  

When I was a boy I didn’t have Lego but a cheaper alternative ‘Betta Builder.’  It is amazing that Lego has gone on to become such a phenomenon for all ages and it is interesting to note that Lego is Danish for ‘Play Well.’

I hope that if you have an opportunity this summer you will “leg godt” – play well!

And let us always remember that we are all children of God and no longer slaves to fear and that includes the fear of looking foolish as you join in with the play. 

 https://youtu.be/HUjDwIw5ih0?si=4AgwygUpKbyF821D    

P.S.

St. Thérèse of Lisieux

“I rejoice to be little, because only children and those who are like them will be admitted to the heavenly banquet.”

This quote from St. Thérèse of Lisieux sums up her whole life and her teaching. The “Little Flower”, as she is known, spent her brief but full life striving to be little. This message of “littleness” is so important that she was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope St. John Paul II. Her teaching goes to the very heart of the Gospel and has something to say to each one of us today.

* Researchers watched 150 episodes of Bluey. Here’s what they found | The Independent https://share.google/gzwdr78HHIrlCl2aF