What is a Play Shop?

A play shop is a dedicated time to play with art and creativity. It is more about creative exploration rather than structured instruction, and it happens in a fun, relaxed environment. In a play shop, you're encouraged to experiment, explore new materials, invent different ways to use materials, generate ideas, and find your creative expression—without worrying about rules or results. Yes, you will create a piece of art, and you will be guided through a loose process, but the focus is really about developing creative freedom, joy, and self-expression through art, rather than producing a specific finished piece or learning a formal technique. Each Play Shop is built around a simple, loose process that participants can build on in endless ways to create their own sense of play and their own piece of art. 

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Why Play?

Research has shown that play as adults can increase our creativity, boost our well-being, sharpen our sense of humor, help us cope better with stress, and improve our physical health. Unlike children, most of us don’t have regular playtime built into our schedule. So, we must be intentional about play and find ways to incorporate more play into our lives. 

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