Parents always tell kids to go out and play. But did you ever think that an adult, an adult and child psychiatrist no less, would tell YOU, the adult, to go out and play? Well, Dr. Colarusso is doing just that. In this book he explains both the nature of play and the dynamics which make play such an essential part of human experience throughout the life cycle.

The message is get off that coach, get out of that rocking chair, and go and play. Adults need to play, maybe not as much as children do, but for the same reasons. Play is a way of mastering stress and trauma. It serves the same purpose for children and adults. The stresses of adulthood are, in their own way, more daunting than those of childhood. And we all have a need to master the traumatic overstimulation that characterizes our busy lives, to say nothing of the internal pressures that continually force us to deal with issues, relationships, and experiences from the past and present.

Go and hit that great golf shot, watch an action movie, or see a good romance film and relive a youthful love affair. Join the Monday night football crowd. Reread Portnoy's Complaint. Take in your son's, daughter's, or grandchild's soccer game. Buy some new sex toys. They're all examples of how adults can and should play. Whatever you do, remember that play should be fun. But it's also a marvelous way to master the stresses of life. Just do it!

Playtime for Grown-Ups gives a clear understanding of the various forms of play available to adults and the reasons why play is important to mental and physical health, throughout adulthood.

This book includes:

• An understanding of what motivates play
• The role of thought and action in play
• The different levels of play in childhood and adulthood
• The relationships between creativity and play
• The organizers of play in adulthood
• Sexual play

Understanding the nature of play and doing more of it will lead to a happier life.