Why play?

Can you think of some reasons we should play more, or add more games and gamification to our current work with youth?

Playing can:

relieve stress and improve stress management ("The opposite of play is not work, it's depression")(1)
supercharge learning;
allow creativity, critical thinking and foster innovation;
it connects you to others and the world around you;
develops a higher level sense of engagement;
makes work more productive and enjoyable;
is strongly involved in human development; contributes to self-awareness and increased self-confidence;
is essential for health(2).

All of these points reconfirm the idea that "play is more than just fun"(3) and that its impact can be magical for adults as well as children(4).