E1 Age 3: An Introduction to Play

In the final episode of the series, Patrick interviews Anne, a 77-year-old whose lifelong love of games offers a joyful perspective on how play evolves over time. Anne shares a journey that includes dolls, sports, cards and more: From classic games with names that have evolved over the decades to the ways parenthood reshaped her view of play through her children’s eyes. Patrick also returns to his central questions about how and why our relationship to play changes as we grow up, and Anne shares her wisdom on how play changes over time— not as something we leave behind, but as something that always offers “something next.” As she reminds Patrick, “Who doesn’t like play? Who doesn’t like fun?” Plus some favorite games from earlier guests make an appearance in a whole new generation!

In this episode Patrick interviews Jessica, a 50-year-old who has experienced play from multiple perspectives—as a child, a mother, and now as an adult with her own favorite pastimes. Jessica shares memories of the games and toys that shaped her childhood and reflects on the new types of play her own children embraced. Together, they discuss what it means to “grow out of” Symbolic Play and how certain games are intertwined with family traditions, like those played on vacations or at holidays. From dolls to croquet to charades, Jessica’s journey shows how play evolves within our own lives and across generations. Sections of this interview have been edited for clarity and time.

Patrick explores the ways technology changes our relationship to play with Christina, a Millennial whose childhood spanned the digital revolution. Her personal history and professional experience as a teacher has given her a unique perspective on how children today encounter all new forms of play— both online and off. From Roller Coaster Tycoon to Wordle, what happens when you “let the technology do the imagining for you?” But first Christina needs to share her love of a very specific kind of childhood make-believe: Cosplaying as an adult. Sections of this interview have been edited for clarity and time.

In the second part of our exploration of how play evolves through childhood and adolescence, Patrick sits down with his older brother, Liam, to compare notes on their different approaches to play. Liam loves a long Game with Rules, but doesn’t connect with “imaginary” Symbolic Play. How does his perspective compare with his siblings? And what draws different members of the same family to different kinds of play? Plus: Find out what Survivor and Clue have in common! Sections of this interview have been edited for clarity and time.

In the first of a two-part exploration of how play evolves from childhood through the teenage years, Patrick interviews someone he’s observed closely since birth: his younger brother, Rory. From Hungry Hungry Hippos to hockey, Rory charts the evolving nature of play and a growing interest in games with rules. When do we love a game for the sake of the game and when does it depend on the people we’re playing with? How does the addition of teammates influence our favorite sports? And does Patrick’s original hypothesis about Rory’s age group hold up? Plus: What does Rory think of the imaginative play of his toddler years? Patrick has the receipts, but what does Rory remember? Sections of this interview have been edited for clarity and time.

Join Patrick as he begins his investigation into our relationship with play and how it evolves across a lifetime, interviewing people from age 3 to age 77 over the course of this 6-episode series. How have their favorites games and pastimes changed as they’ve grown? And how have innovations like computers and technology changed the way younger generations play? These are just a few of the questions we’ll explore with Patrick and his guests. In this inaugural episode you’ll learn about four different types of play: Functional Play, Constructive Play, Symbolic Play, and Games with Rules. Plus Patrick discusses his interest in childhood development and his observations from speaking with his first interview subject: A 3-year-old camper who loves Symbolic Play (but even Symbolic Play has rules!). Sections of this interview have been edited for clarity and time.