The wonder of play

ABSTRACT

Since its introduction almost 50 years ago, the concept of ‘flow’ has been descriptive of optimal experiences, also in relation to play. However, the explorative nature of play leads to some discrepancies between flow and the optimal experience of play. In this paper the differences between flow and play are explored, leading to proposing the state of ‘wonder’ as a counterpart to flow. This perspective offers a way to conceptually distinguish goal-oriented experiences (e.g. games and competition) from free play experiences that are not focused on a specific end-goal, seeking to evolve and retain the experience rather than moving towards an optimal end point. While the theory of wonder in relation to flow is in its early stages of development, it is a proposition that offers new perspectives for further discussions about the relations between e.g. play, games, and work.

KEYWORDS:

• Play
• flow
• design
• wonder
• toys

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by The LEGO Foundation.

Notes on contributors

Jesper Falck Legaard

Jesper Falck Legaard is assistant professor at Design School Kolding, focusing on the design of toys that facilitate immersive play experiences, and the aesthetics of artifacts for eliciting playfulness. He has a background as Industrial Designer, and a PhD in Experience-based Design from the University of Southern Denmark.