Human Play Academy
We release the untapped potential of play for the development of individuals, communities and society
Life Quality
Improve your quality of life by experiencing more joy through play!
Powerful relationships
Transform the nature and quality of your relationship with yourself and others!
Meaningful growth
Discover new goals, novel ways of reaching them and how to achieve meaningful success!
The Worlds First Online Course About Play
Learn to live a playful life and create a life you love!
With play as your long lost teacher you will find new ways of living. When you reconnect with play you automatically (re)discover freedom, authenticity, and joy in your life. When you see how play is more than just games and that it is not just something kids do, you can directly achieve a high quality of life independent of material circumstances.
When you start walking the play way of life, you will feel empowered and humbled at how wonderful life can be.
„“WHY
The Play Way of Life
Offline transformations through online learning
The 12 Principles Of Play
Our unique framework of play will show you how play is far more than silliness or games. By discovering and practicing our 12 principles of play, you will open up your life to joy and endless possibilities.
Play & Responsibility
Some people think play and responsibility are enemies. We think they are friends. Discover how play can help you live more responsibly for yourself, other people and even the entire planet!
Connecting Through Play
Connect with yourself and others in a deep and open way by developing a non-judgemental state of being. Learn practical steps to reach what Krishnamurti called the highest form of human intelligence.
What If They Judge Me?!
Do you want to stop your inner critic from renting so much space in your mind apartment? Then learn how to become free of judgements from yourself and others by using play.
Play to Flow
Top performers access the state of flow to achieve greatness. So do the people who live the play of life. Discover the similarities between flow and play and use the science of flow theory to playfully enhance your life!
Not Reaching Goals Through Play
That’s right. Certain goals should be reformulated or discarded because they risk resulting in burnout, stress and depression. But if you connect with the right goals for the right reasons, play can really help you achieve them while having a great time along the way.
EXPERIENCE
Human Play Academy Formats
Play Workshops
1-4 Days – up to 200 participants
We offer Play Workshops of various lengths, for varying group sizes and for different purposes. Our workshops last between 2 hours to several days and can hold anything from 2 to 200 people. We provide people with a very practical experience of play and let the play experience speak for itself. Last time it spoke, we heard words of joyous freedom and intense delight.
Play Walks
Walk, talk & Play
This novel concept is our own invention and it combines play, walking in nature and being together as a group. Think walking holiday in a beautiful setting and combine it with play and you won’t be too far off the mark. Our first play walk will take place this autumn (location TBD) when 20 people or so will walk together with us for one week. Every day, there will be some walking, some play and some space for talking about life, play and everything in between.
Play Academy Consulting
Our Corporate Program
Play can help organisations in our post modern times in two ways: through one-time events (often called teambuilding) and through more long term work where play is used to transform the culture within an organisation into one that is human centered, trust based and allows for a maximum of freedom and creativity. While we are happy to do single events, it is the long term culture transformation that gets us really excited.
A Playful Retreat Week
Eat, Play, Love
If you need a break, a period of time to reorient yourself or are looking for a way to re-energise (or just have a nice vacation), we would like you to come and play with us in one of our retreat weeks. By being together with us for a week, talking about life and getting to do some play everyday, you will experience an autonomous, sustainable and joyful way of living which you can incorporate in your everyday life after the retreat.
The Magic of Play
Play lectures about…
In contrast to our workshops, where play speaks for itself, we also speak on behalf of play and capture audiences with stories (and science) of how play can change our lives. We usually try to talk about the joy of play, mindset shifts and play as a personal and organisational development tool but somehow play always manages to get the better of us and we lose control. Except for when we want to be serious, of course.
Summer Camps
Play Centered Summer Fun
For many of us, memories of summer camps are some of the best summer memories we have and they represent a period of timelessness, joy and delighting in life. We co-organise/lead summer camps every now and then – for adults, children & families – and these camps are a great opportunity to be totally immersed in play for one week (or however long the camp lasts).
Play Workshop
We offer Play Workshops of various lengths, for varying group sizes and for different purposes. Our workshops last between 2 hours to several days and can hold anything from 2 to 200 people. We provide people with a very practical experience of play and let the play experience speak for itself. Last time it spoke, we heard words of joyous freedom and intense delight.
If you want to organise a workshop together with us, send us an email at info@humanplayacademy.com with the subject „Workshop“ and we’ll be more than happy to see what we can do together!
What Our Participants Say:
The mood of the whole workshop was very welcoming, safe, joyful, exuberant – as if old friends met. I experienced a great connection with myself all the time and at the same time it seems that I have never communicated with so many people at once…
I felt during the workshop that play was a part of myself and I saw its value as an instrument of self-development, interaction and helping others.
This weekend I was impressed with the simple and I was happy with the new. I studied myself, enjoyed the space and how wonderful others were, understood the important things about trust and aggression. And I played, played, played…
In this workshop I understood: “all of the most important adventures take place within ourselves.”
The participation in the play workshop gave me the opportunity to get closer to answers to pressing personal questions, and to live. I played the whole time, without worrying about anything – with a sense of ownership, comfort and being in a safe environment.
An incredible atmosphere of acceptance, shared joy, trust, contact with oneself. Now I want to stop forcing myself to do so many things without inner connection and do only what arises from this contact with myself, which also makes it possible for me to connect with others. Rebirth.
Play Walks
This novel concept is our own invention and it combines play, walking in nature and being together as a group. Think walking holiday in a beautiful setting and combine it with play and you won’t be too far off the mark. Our first play walk will take place this autumn (location TBD) when 20 people or so will walk together with us for one week. Every day, there will be some walking, some play and some space for talking about life, play and everything in between.
There are still places left for the play walk this autumn! If you think this is something you would like to do, send us an email at info@humanplayacademy.com with the subject “Play Walk” to let us know that you are interested. We will then get back to you with more information once the route and other details are confirmed.
Play Academy Consulting
Play can help organisations in our post modern times in two ways: through one-time events (often called teambuilding) and through more long term work where play is used to transform the culture within an organisation into one that is human centered, trust based and allows for a maximum of freedom and creativity. While we are happy to do single events, it is the long term culture transformation that gets us really excited.
If you are interested in how we can help your organisation through play, send us an email at info@humanplayacademy.com and we’ll be more than happy to have an exploratory conversation with you to see what you are looking for and if this matches what we can offer.
A Playful Retreat Week
If you need a break, a period of time to reorient yourself or are looking for a way to re-energise (or just have a nice vacation), we would like you to come and play with us in one of our retreat weeks. By being together with us for a week, talking about life and getting to do some play everyday, you will experience an autonomous, sustainable and joyful way of living which you can incorporate in your everyday life after the retreat.
The date of our next retreat has not been decided due to the Covid-19 pandemic. If you would like to take part in one of our retreats, you can send an email to us at info@humanplayacademy.com with the subject “Retreat” to let us know that you are interested. Once we have a date and location planned, we will then get back to you with more information so that you can join if you want.
Play Talk
In contrast to our workshops, where play speaks for itself, we also speak on behalf of play and capture audiences with stories (and science) of how play can change our lives. We usually try to talk about the joy of play, mindset shifts and play as a personal and organisational development tool but somehow play always manages to get the better of us and we lose control. Except for when we want to be serious, of course.
Would you like us to come and talk at your event or within your organisation? Send us an email at info@humanplayacademy.com with a subject like „Can You Speak?“ and that will get the conversation started. =)
Some example titles of talks we have given (or could give) are:
– Why Do Children Stop Playing and How Can Adults Start Again?
– How Play helps to build a sustainable culture in a postmodern organisation?
– How Can We Create a Community Culture Around Play?
– How to Construct a Future School System Built on Play?
– The Science of Play: What Does the Latest Science about Play have to Say?
Play Centered Summer Camps
For many of us, memories of summer camps are some of the best summer memories we have and they represent a period of timelessness, joy and delighting in life. We co-organise/lead summer camps every now and then – for adults, children & families – and these camps are a great opportunity to be totally immersed in play for one week (or however long the camp lasts).
The next summer camp where we are present will be in the Czech Republic on August 15-22, organised by Jana Kočí. You’ll find information about this summer camp on this website: http://lvibrana.cz/?page_id=2098.
If you are interested in organising a summer camp together with us, please send us an email at info@humanplayacademy.com with the subject “Summer Camp” and we will be happy that you started a conversation with us!
ABOUT
Our Story
About US
A Brief History Of Us
We – Dieter and Viktor – have been working towards spreading more play in the world for many years. We did summer camps for children as well as adults, seminars for Intuitive Pedagogy centered around Pär Play, and team development workshops in companies and schools. We have spoken on stages about the magic of play, we created the world first online course on how to live a playful life and we are currently writing books about the untapped potential of play for developing individuals, communities and society.
Recently we held a weekend workshop together with 140 participants in Moscow and after this we decided to join forces and combine our enthusiasm and knowledge of different schools of play! Together, we have created the Human Play Academy!
TEAM
Our Team
PÄR PLAY and Communication as Art
Dieter Schwartz
My heart sings when I can help people live as their true selves. My biggest source for this is PÄR PLAY (developed by Pär Ahlbom, Sweden). Two other important sources are Communication as Art (developed by Iris Johansson, Sweden) and my own life experience of how darkness is transformed by light.
Life has given me the opportunity to combine all three in many different ways: as a teacher, mediator, seminar leader and as an orchestral conductor. In all of these areas, I´m interested in the process of developing the social nature of groups. Through this kind of development, bullying can develop into social harmony, destructive competition become synergistic teamwork and personal conflicts lead to deep mutual understanding.
I am very glad that I was invited to spread play in more than 10 different countries and I am very grateful for all the occasions that life gives me to live and share my full capacity. I always feel specially alive when I have the opportunity to help individuals and groups to strengthen their cohesion, commitment and trust in life by developing their playfulness.
PÄR PLAY and Communication as Art
Dieter Schwartz
My heart sings when I can help people live as their true selves. My biggest source for this is PÄR PLAY (developed by Pär Ahlbom, Sweden). Two other important sources are Communication as Art (developed by Iris Johansson, Sweden) and my own life experience of how darkness is transformed by light.
Life has given me the opportunity to combine all three in many different ways: as a teacher, mediator, seminar leader and as an orchestral conductor. In all of these areas, I´m interested in the process of developing the social nature of groups. Through this kind of development, bullying can develop into social harmony, destructive competition become synergistic teamwork and personal conflicts lead to deep mutual understanding.
I am very glad that I was invited to spread play in more than 10 different countries and I am very grateful for all the occasions that life gives me to live and share my full capacity. I always feel specially alive when I have the opportunity to help individuals and groups to strengthen their cohesion, commitment and trust in life by developing their playfulness.
Experience Joy and belonging through play
Viktor Byström
I am a play expert who loves helping people to break out of their shells and interact with authenticity and playfulness. I am on a mission to promote well-being and belonging through playfulness and I want as many people as possible to (re)discover the wonders that a life of play can give. With a background in engineering, educated at the University of Cambridge, as well as in music and improv theatre, I have a wide variety of tools and practices in my play repertoire!
Whereas Mowgli was raised by a pack of wolves and and thereby learned the ways of life in the jungle, I was raised in a commune and spent my summers at a summer camp for teenagers. This out-of-the-ordinary upbringing fuelled an intense curiosity for people and belonging. Eventually working as a summer camp leader myself, I realised that many people have an unmet need for silliness and play which, if addressed, can really help to improve the social dynamics of groups.
Experience Joy and belonging through play
Viktor Byström
I am a play expert who loves helping people to break out of their shells and interact with authenticity and playfulness. I am on a mission to promote well-being and belonging through playfulness and I want as many people as possible to (re)discover the wonders that a life of play can give. With a background in engineering, educated at the University of Cambridge, as well as in music and improv theatre, I have a wide variety of tools and practices in my play repertoire!
Whereas Mowgli was raised by a pack of wolves and and thereby learned the ways of life in the jungle, I was raised in a commune and spent my summers at a summer camp for teenagers. This out-of-the-ordinary upbringing fuelled an intense curiosity for people and belonging. Eventually working as a summer camp leader myself, I realised that many people have an unmet need for silliness and play which, if addressed, can really help to improve the social dynamics of groups.
MAGIC OF PLAY
The Human Play Manifesto
Our Play Mission
We are uncovering a lost way of living and sharing this with the world. We are excited to spread the way of play because:
Play enables authenticity and gives us freedom.
Play brings joy and effortlessness.
Play makes us present and powerful.
Play empowers learning and development.
Also, within communities, play strengthens cohesion, commitment and trust.
In play, all of these qualities interact and create a powerful synergy so that we experience contentment, meaning and connection to those around us.
The mission of the Human Play Academy is to spread play in the world, so that more people can live a playful life and experience all of the above.
TESTIMONIALS
Impressions from course participants
The mood of the whole workshop was very welcoming, safe, joyful, exuberant – as if old friends met. I experienced a great connection with myself all the time and at the same time it seems that I have never communicated with so many people at once…
I felt during the workshop that play was a part of myself and I saw its value as an instrument of self-development, interaction and helping others.
This weekend I was impressed with the simple and I was happy with the new. I studied myself, enjoyed the space and how wonderful others were, understood the important things about trust and aggression. And I played, played, played…
In this workshop I understood: “all of the most important adventures take place within ourselves.”
The participation in the play workshop gave me the opportunity to get closer to answers to pressing personal questions, and to live. I played the whole time, without worrying about anything – with a sense of ownership, comfort and being in a safe environment.
An incredible atmosphere of acceptance, shared joy, trust, contact with oneself. Now I want to stop forcing myself to do so many things without inner connection and do only what arises from this contact with myself, which also makes it possible for me to connect with others. Rebirth.
Countries We Have Played in
Workshop participants to date
Average level of Playfulness in a Human Play Academy Internal Meeting
How much our partners support this project
FAQ
Frequently Asked
Why should I play?
A very good question! We could write an entire book just on this but let’s say for now that play is a joyful experience that helps us feel alive. Play can also help us learn faster, connect with others and create harmonious groups. If you would like any of these things, then you are more than welcome to play.
Do we play as if we are children in your workshops?
The short answer is “no”. The longer answer is that if we start to play together it helps us switch from living an identity or a role to living as our true selves. When we make this switch, we get access to our full capacity and creativity as humans and we connect easily with ourselves and others. Usually, we start playing as adults and end up being ourselves.
Are you experienced with play in education?
Yes! We have both worked as teachers in schools and leaders of summer camps. Dieter has also been a seminar leader for intuitive pedagogy, a mentor for alternative schools and a docent at a pedagogical university. Viktor has seen the inside of some playful and some not so playful institutions in his university education as an engineer and a musician and this experience is also at your disposal when working with us in any way.
What can we develop if we play with you?
Another fine question! You will develop your senses, your mindfulness and your social ability, just to mention a few examples. You can also develop your creativity, fantasy and your ability to go through challenging situations. You will also get an experience of how to live as yourself in playfulness, in harmony with what you really want, and this will enable you to start implementing playfulness into your everyday life, if you want.
All of this you will achieve with ease and through a process of joy.
Info
Contact Us
Email Address
info@humanplayacademy.com
Locations
Cellov. 47
75654 Uppsala
Sweden
Kosatska 19
08341 Vyshenky – Kyiv region
Ukraine
Get In Touch!
Access "The PlayWay Of Life" Today!
In our online course “The Play Way of Life” you get to improve the quality of your life and general well-being by connecting with joy through play! We combine videos and exercises to let you (re)discover the sense of freedom and authenticity that play can give you. With play as your long lost teacher, you will find new ways of living, new goals to reach for and how to achieve meaningful success!