It’s play time! That means it is time to relax and have fun with your favorite activities and see what you can learn from play.
“I get exercise and travel around the city, and I do it all in style,” said Arif Rahman, a freshman at a Bandung university who spoke with youthspeak about his bike riding jaunts on his lowrider.
Arif hangs out with others like him in Bandung Lowrider Syndicate (BLS), a club for lowrider enthusiasts who regularly meet and pedal around town.
Since he was a child, he always found time to play and go places on his bike with friends, no matter how hot and sunny the day.
“It’s fun to feel the heat and the wind. I just enjoy the city from my bike. The furthest place I’ve ridden to is Soreang, which is about 18 kilometers south on the edge of Bandung,” Arif said.
“What’s also fun is I manage to work in a culinary tour while riding with friends.”
Toymaker Cipta Croft-Cusworth and game developer Grahita Adhyatmaka, both from Jakarta, also value their play time.
“When I was young, I used to pretend I was a toy. I let my imagination take over, and there’s something quite magical about that,” Croft-Cusworth said.
Through play, he said, he could turn inanimate objects into live things. He animated his toys and embraced that creative feeling.
“I promised myself I would never lose that feeling.”
He also assumed that toys were symbols of people. When his toys came to life, to him they were humans pretending they were toys in a fantasy setting.
“Through play, you learn about yourself, learn by making something and learn about limitations. Learning in school is important, but studying knowledge is different from learning through play,” he said.
Croft-Cusworth keeps in touch with the world of toys as a grown-up. He makes toys. He established the GoodGuysNeverWin toy company in 2005.
Figurine lover Grahita Adhyatmaka, who goes by Reggie, said his experiences playing games inspired him to make his own games.
He only started to collect figurines last year, but has been in love with animation since his junior high days.
“When I was younger, I was just having fun with the game, but as time went by, I start to see figurines and games more as art,” he said.
As a student of computer science at Bina Nusantara University, Reggie is now developing his own game.
“I’ve noticed that few educational games are inviting, so most people don’t try them.”
Reggie said he got so wrapped up in designing games, he would become unaware of his surroundings, and put off eating and sleeping.
“Right now I’m designing 3D models for my current game.”
Sociologist Imam Prasodjo points out that play is just as important for teenagers as it is for children and adults. Play gives the mind a break from thinking seriously and allows for relaxation.
However, if teenagers spend too much time playing, it can disrupt the carryover of positive skills they are developing through play.
“Teenagers should learn about managing their time, and not let play take most of their time. Play is
beneficial if it means physical activity and getting outside, not just playing games in an air-conditioned room all day,” he said.
Prasodjo said many cities didn’t have enough spaces for play. Playgrounds are scarce and youth centers are poorly maintained, limiting young people’s play arenas.
Another key benefit is that young people learn communication skills and how to work in teams through interactive play. They also learn how to apply their creativity.
“Apart from having a good time, it’s also a great way to build social skills,” he said
