Society
Play
![On Your Mark, Get Set, Go: The Power of Play at Any Age](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/284ebcb0-ee70-4812-8e61-21178da716bb/53810282838_c2d3e8654a_o.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=290&q=80&rect=1824%2C180%2C2567%2C2567&w=290)
From early childhood to advanced age, we all need some fun. Society hints that there is something childish, even self-indulgent, about playing, but it’s quite the opposite: play helps us handle our adult responsibilities better. Taking time for fun can strengthen relationships, refresh cognitive capacity, bolster creativity, and invigorate daily life. Whether you carve out...
![Growing From Unlikely Soil: How Urban Ecology Transforms Cities and Kids](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/811d4654-1591-4a5b-8bcf-396fa7ba88f0/52187777609_21512640c5_o.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=290&q=80&rect=1808%2C0%2C4640%2C4640&w=290)
Imagine a world in which every kid in every city can go outside and explore the natural world. Urban ecology centers model outdoor play and promote connection, while restoring natural beauty to cities. How can urban leaders transform blighted parks into catalysts for social and environmental change? How can we spread this big idea to cities around the world? An expert pres...
![Beyond Fandom: When Sports Build Community](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/9bfdd727-43c3-4ff3-a0f9-f5aa7d2cec1b/52178683654_936ac49fca_o1.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=290&q=80&rect=691%2C0%2C3510%2C3510&w=290)
American pro sports make a lot of money. Had it not been for the pandemic, the industry in North America was projected to generate $75.7 billion per year in revenue, a tally that includes ticket sales, television contracts, concessions, and advertising. Less easy to calculate — but also significant — is the impact of sports on communities. Sports have a profoundly positive...
![The Great Outdoors: A Cure for What Ails Us?](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/b2998799-59e6-4a74-a26e-5f29c2ba10db/29201193498_c4f918d31d_o.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=290&q=80&rect=516%2C0%2C1968%2C1968&w=290)
Time outdoors can make us healthier. But there’s more. Could the social and economic benefits of the great outdoors promote cohesion in and among communities that are finding it harder to relate to one another? Longtime leader of a purple state, Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper, and Jerry Stritzke, CEO of REI, America’s largest consumer cooperative with $2.6 billion in...
![Sesame Street: Helping Traumatized Children Cope](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/cef29b4d-252d-473b-ad15-8aab933caff8/43300762892_417bda2bf2_o.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=290&q=80&rect=504%2C0%2C3024%2C3024&w=290)
When Big Bird has “big feelings,” he imagines himself in a comfy-cozy nest, soothed by the smell of baking cookies. The Count teaches the Cookie Monster a breathing technique to ease agitation while the green monster Rosita punches a pillow to release her anger. These Muppet characters are part of a Sesame Street in Communities project that provides free online resources,...
![Aspen Lecture: The Future of Imagination](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/25a32d07-60d9-47e8-9a7f-09ee40595fb3/27455816253_ab8bb7390e_o.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=290&q=80&rect=648%2C0%2C2592%2C2592&w=290)
Thinking about the far-off future isn’t just an exercise in intellectual curiosity. It’s a practical skill that, as new research reveals, has a direct neurological link to greater creativity, empathy, and optimism. In this session from master game designer and acclaimed futurist Jane McGonigal, you’ll learn three practical habits that will increase the power of your imagin...