What’s the difference between fun and play? I did a yoga pose this morning and the instructor calls out,” it’s happy baby Sheila, happy, relax that face.” I laughed, the class laughed, it was fun. I’m known for uncensored comments and going for it so hard I fall in yoga class. I have to have teachers who are lighthearted and conducive to a more playful environment. There are teachers, that don’t work well for me; it’s not fun and definitely not play.
There is “playing” in sports. Watching the US Open finals, I’m not sure either player would call it fun at this point. Does the award of a five million dollar check for the winner and the 2.5 million dollar for 2nd place make it fun or is it a job? Is fun a state of mind? I started a group vocal class 6 weeks ago, and it is fun. Is it the instructor that set up a fun environment like in yoga. Is it the students who don’t take themselves to seriously? Or for this point in time, was this group really special? This week was our teacher’s last class. Will it still be fun?
I was dragged into subbing for a player in a co-ed softball team. It was not fun. I looked pitiful on the field, couldn’t catch anything and my team was visibly frustrated. My batting was no better, I either struck out or never made it past first base. Last inning, I’m at bat; we’re losing by 2 points. Bases are loaded and the opposition, to top it off, all came in close and started singing “Oh Sheila.” I hit that ball so hard, to the shock of everyone, I had a grand slam and we won. I was playing, sure, but, it was not fun. I can get really riled up in a game of trivia, that’s fun. But, is it fun because I’m on a team with friends and typically manage to place or is it just fun? Does it matter if I call it fun? OK, here we go, conversations with Mildred (ChatGPT.).
Great question — they overlap a lot, but they’re not the same thing.
Fun is the feeling — the enjoyment, amusement, or pleasure you get from an activity. It’s the emotional experience.
- Example: You can have fun at a party, while cooking, or even cleaning if you’re in the right mood.
- It doesn’t require rules or structure, just enjoyment.
Play is the activity — an action or behavior that’s often imaginative, voluntary, and not done for serious purposes.
- Example: Children playing tag, adults playing chess, or even animals chasing each other.
- Play can be fun, but it can also be competitive, challenging, or even frustrating at times.
So, in short:
- Fun = the feeling.
- Play = the doing.
👉 Key difference: Play is about the activity, fun is about the experience.
Are we having fun yet?
Balancing on Unstable Surfaces 
So happy you are having fun! Continue to have great days.
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