Quotes from Brian Sutton-Smith

The opposite of play is not work. It's depression.

The opposite of play isn't work. It's depression. To play is to act out and be willful, exultant and committed as if one is assured of one's prospects.

Playful stimulation probably hits all kinds of synaptic possibilities. It is all make-believe and all over the map. The potentiality of the synapses and the potentiality of playfulness are a beautiful marriage.

The thing about a violent kid is that he can't play imaginatively.

What many teachers observe as violent behavior is often really just playful aggression.

The kid who can play imaginatively doesn't tend to be violent. It's the same with adults.