Have you ever been in the presence of a young animal, a dog or a small child or a possum perhaps? And there just was this urge to get down on your knees and invite it to play. To move this way and that and entice and withdraw, touch and nudge, until the two of you were rolling and frolicking about together. Well, I know I've had that experience and sometimes it is the most alive and present experience in the world.
V. and I get to do it a fair bit in fact right on the living room floor, or chasing each other around the park, even making faces across the dinner table can have that element of deep connection and communication under the hilarious laughter.
There is someone else who's had this experience. He's had it a lot. His name is Fred O. Donaldson and he coined the term "Original Play" to describe it.
There is a group here in town who holds space and practices is regularly and I've been a few times to remind myself and expose V. She just loves it.
We went again last Saturday to the "Play after Play" where we saw a short play put on by just three people and mainly just their bodies and the sounds they could make with them as props. It was really funny and sweet and after that they roll out the mats and invite the kids on to them to play. It was so much fun. Viridian was totally delighted and came back for more over and over.
We've been taking time to move responsibilities and things out of the way and get down on the floor to play more and more since then.
My words can't fully describe it and neither will Fred's, but they have a website anyway that can point in the right direction. Enjoy http://originalplay.com/about_us.htm