By Tonina (Antonia Llull, MOT, OTR/L) Chief Play Officer – Play To Do
At Play To Do, we believe that play is not something we outgrow — it’s something that grows and evolves with us.
Play is a powerful vehicle for development and well-being across the entire human lifespan. From early childhood through older adulthood, play fuels connection, supports sensory and emotional regulation, builds cognitive flexibility, and brings joy. It shows up in different forms: toys, games, physical play, imaginative exploration, and creative expression, but its impact is universal.
Our multidisciplinary team explores and educates about how meaningful play experiences can meet the physical, emotional, sensory, cognitive, and social needs of people at every age.
🧠Play Is Neurological Nourishment — Not Just Entertainment
The benefits of play go far beyond entertainment or amusement. Drawing from the work of Dr. Jean Ayres, whose Sensory Integration Theory remains foundational in occupational therapy, we know that the brain’s ability to take in and process sensory input directly affects our ability to regulate emotions, maintain attention, coordinate movement, and engage socially.
This is as true for adults and elders as it is for children.
Toys and games that provide tactile, visual, proprioceptive, and vestibular input help support healthy sensory modulation. This is the body’s way of organizing and responding to sensory experiences in daily life. Play experiences that involve building, pretending, moving, or even simply holding comforting objects contribute to emotional regulation and a sense of safety in the body.
💬Emotions Live in the Body And Play Helps Process Them
The field of psycho-neuro-immunology and the work of Dr. Candace Pert in Molecules of Emotion — tells us that emotions are not just “feelings” but physical responses in the body. They are shaped by neurochemicals, hormones, and cellular memory.
Play-based experiences and leisure routines can help shift these emotional patterns. Activities that promote positive sensory input, like building a LEGO set, solving a tactile puzzle, interacting with a plush toy, or role-playing with puppets, can calm the stress response and activate neurochemistry associated with safety, curiosity, and joy.
🧒👨🦳 Intergenerational Play Builds Connection and Capacity
Play is one of the few universal behaviors that connects people across generations.
Children learn critical cognitive, physical, and social-emotional skills through play.
Adolescents and adults use play to explore identity, cope with stress, and maintain hobbies or routines.
Older adults benefit from playful interaction through memory stimulation, sensory engagement, and social connection.
Whether it’s a child playing with a grandparent, a teen exploring a complex game, or an older adult engaging in building activities or storytelling, play supports both individual wellness and family connection. It invites shared laughter, physical movement, creative thinking, and social engagement — all of which are vital for health and belonging.
🌍 Designing Across the Lifespan: Why Inclusion Matters
Inclusive play isn’t just about physical access. It’s about emotional access, sensory safety, and cognitive fit. At Play To Do, we work with companies and communities to ensure toys, tools, and environments are designed to support every age and ability.
We help partners:
Create toys and games that adapt across developmental stages
Incorporate sensory-friendly features that benefit all users
Reimagine leisure as a space for self-care, regulation, and connection
Design spaces and products that invite intergenerational engagement
Our work is grounded in universal design, lived experience, and the joy of seeing someone, at any age, light up during a moment of play.
✨ Play Across the Lifespan Isn’t Optional — It’s Essential
Play is not a phase of childhood. It’s a human behavior that supports health, identity, and connection throughout life.
Whether it’s a caregiver using puppets to connect with a child, a grandparent building with blocks, an adult relaxing through hobby play, or a teen discovering expression through games, play supports the brain, body, and spirit.
At Play To Do, we believe in designing and advocating for play that serves us all, because when we play across generations, we grow together.
After all, we’ve got play to do!
🛠️ How Toy Brands, Educational Product Creators, and Municipal Leaders Can Use These Insights
Understanding play across the lifespan is valuable and it’s actionable.
When designers, educators, and civic leaders build with this lens, they create experiences that are more meaningful, more inclusive, and more enduring.
Whether you’re developing a new toy, designing an educational product, or shaping a community space, understanding how play supports regulation, connection, and cognitive engagement at every age can make your work more inclusive, more effective, and more joyful.
At Play To Do, we help partners:
Understand the sensory and emotional science behind effective play
Translate developmental insights into meaningful product features
Re-imagine environments to be inclusive, engaging, and inter-generational
