Play is integral to how we learn to adapt to life effectively.
The more we play as children the better we generally are at adapting latter in life, often because of simple principles that have been instilled in us over the top of our instinctual drives. Such principles as feeling safe to make a mistake, or to explore the unknown, and to take calculated risks.
The power of play does not stop there. Engaging in play as an adult can heal old trauma patterns and enable you to improve your ability to adapt to life better as an adult too.