| | December - 20199such as quest-based learning, role-play, or digital making; and tactics are the aspects of games that can be used to support learning, including game mechanics and also elements such as mystery, humour, and surprise. However, playful learning is more than a collection of approaches and methods; it is explicitly underpinned by a philosophical and political position that embodies play. Ideas of openness, collegiality, integrity, and democracy are at the heart of the playful approach to teaching and learning in adulthood. Using play, we can subtly re-frame learning experiences to make them more inclusive, emotionally-resonant, and personally-meaningful; we can change the ways in which learners and teachers interact, embodying a philosophy of co-learning; we can create spaces that are ethically sound and socially just; and we can shift perspectives simply by applying the lens of play. To give an example, I previously ran an academic book club; despite having the best of intentions attendance was dwindling because members simply didn't always have time to read the book. So we set up one rule: you read the book, or you pretend you've read the book. This simple playful re-framing of the rules of the game saw attendance dramatically increase; and the key thing is that it didn't actually matter whether people had read the book or not­it was the conversations around the book that were more important. At the core of playful learning is the theoretical construct of the `magic circle', which originally emerged from play theory and game studies. The magic circle describes a safe play space, which is mutually-constructed and designated by the players, who agree to abide by the artificial rules of play within the circle. It is the safety of the magic circle and its separateness from the real-world that makes it so powerful for learning (of course, the theoretical `magic circle' is an idealised space and we recognise that neither safety nor separation can be absolute in the real world). What is key to the power of the magic circle is that it facilitates three aspects that underpin learning: first, a lusory attitude, or willingness to entre freely into the spirit of play; second, intrinsic motivation to engage in a play activity for its own sake; and third, the freedom to explore possibilities and make mistakes. It is this ability to embrace and learn from failure that is at the heart of playful learning. By removing a fear of failure we support learners to develop resilience, and be less afraid of taking risks that might end in their making mistakes. It is only by taking measured risks that we can genuinely innovate, explore novel and exciting possibilities, and discover new solutions to problems of the future; beyond serious games and gamification, this is the real power of play in adult learning. Ideas of openness, collegiality, integrity, and democracy are at the heart of the playful approach to teaching and learning in adulthood
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