Eunhae Han’s Reviews > Playful: How Play Shifts Our Thinking, Inspires Connection, and Sparks Creativity > Status Update
Eunhae Han
is on page 101 of 288
We don’t create play by making things.
We create play by creating conditions.
Holman argues that adults often misunderstand play as something that comes from objects (toys, tools, activities, products), when in reality play comes from freedom, agency, and invitation.
— Dec 30, 2025 11:28AM
We create play by creating conditions.
Holman argues that adults often misunderstand play as something that comes from objects (toys, tools, activities, products), when in reality play comes from freedom, agency, and invitation.
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Eunhae’s Previous Updates
Eunhae Han
is on page 101 of 288
Holman says real play emerges when people can:
decide what matters
invent rules
change direction
explore without evaluation
follow curiosity instead of instructions
So the task is not to build better toys —
it is to build better conditions for play.
— Dec 30, 2025 11:29AM
decide what matters
invent rules
change direction
explore without evaluation
follow curiosity instead of instructions
So the task is not to build better toys —
it is to build better conditions for play.
Eunhae Han
is on page 101 of 288
Many products, spaces, and programs marketed as “playful” actually shut play down because they:
prescribe how to use them
define the goal
limit what is allowed
reward “doing it right”
— Dec 30, 2025 11:29AM
prescribe how to use them
define the goal
limit what is allowed
reward “doing it right”
Eunhae Han
is on page 101 of 288
Holman distinguishes between mere toys or products that claim to be playful and real play opportunities that arise when people have agency and freedom to shape their own experiences.
— Dec 30, 2025 11:23AM
Eunhae Han
is on page 25 of 288
She explores how children learn, experiment, fail, and adapt through play, and why adult lives often lose this instinct as they get older, despite its lasting benefits such as creativity and resilience.
— Dec 30, 2025 11:22AM
Eunhae Han
is on page 25 of 288
Holman uses examples from evolution, child development, and brain science to show that play isn’t a luxury for kids, but a core cognitive and emotional process
— Dec 30, 2025 11:22AM
Eunhae Han
is starting
what play really means in this book: a state that is freely chosen, intrinsically motivated, and open-ended — not goal-driven or tied to productivity.
— Dec 30, 2025 11:21AM
