It's So Important, There's an Institute for It

Kid-tested and mom-approved, play is no laughing matter to IDEO's Brendan Boyle, famed primatologist Jane Goodall, organizational guru Kevin Carroll, and the other researchers Stuart Brown has assembled to head the National Institute for Play.

The institute, founded by Dr. Brown, seeks to develop projects that study the physiological, psychological, and behavioral state of being known as play, and use the knowledge gathered to implement social change. According to the Institute's site:

The National Institute for Play believes that as play is woven into the fabric of social practices, we will dramatically transform our personal health, our relationships, the education we provide our children and the capacity of our corporations to innovate. We see play as an un-realized power that can transform our social and economic lives.

It's about behavior and communication. It's about outlook and growth. It's about not getting eaten by a polar bear.