Episode Details

When was the last time you truly played?

Today’s guest is Zander Phelps, a play coach and world traveler who spent years traveling with little more than a backpack. During those travels, he discovered that play could connect him with people across cultures and language barriers.

A foot bag became one of his most important tools for creating those connections. What began as something he carried while traveling eventually became the foundation of his work around play, movement, connection, and what he calls the “play-flow state.”

In this conversation, we explore:

• How Zander went from working in television to traveling the world
• Why burnout pushed him to leave his previous life behind
• How a friend’s gift of a foot bag changed the direction of his travels
• Why he believes play can connect people even when they don’t share a language
• How playing foot bag with strangers created immediate connection
• What Zander means by the “play-flow state”
• Why he believes adults gradually lose their natural playfulness
• How parents, schools, sports, and workplaces can turn play into conformity or competition
• Why Zander believes childhood play is fundamentally different from competitive sports
• What he believes happens when play disappears from adult life
• Why he describes play as “medicine for the modern world”
• How he believes play can give the brain space to relax and refocus
• Why he believes playful activities can help people approach problems differently
• How play can create social connection for people who struggle with social interaction
• The relationship between play, movement, nature, and being present
• Whether digital games can provide the same benefits as physical play
• The positive aspects of online play that Zander acknowledges
• Why he believes balance matters rather than simply eliminating digital play
• Why he considers play something AI may never fully understand
• His view that humans are fundamentally social creatures
• His “go touch grass” campaign encouraging people to get outside and interact with nature
• Why he considers foot bag his “ultimate physical exercise”
• Why he considers juggling his “ultimate brain exercise”
• How juggling became one of the main activities he teaches
• His personal experience dealing with a hernia
• How he approached his recovery through diet, exercise, self-massage, and other practices
• Why he chose to delay surgery while giving himself a six-month timeframe
• How he returned to playing foot bag within a month and Ultimate Disc within two months, according to his account
• What traveling through different cultures taught him about the universality of play
• Why he believes play is ultimately about being immersed in the present moment
• How laughter fits into his understanding of genuine play
• Why he believes competitive frustration can interfere with the playful state
• His broader philosophical view of the world as a “playground”
• Why he describes play as a fundamental purpose
• How he believes play can help people reconnect with themselves and others
• Why he believes physical play can help people reset during stressful situations
• Why he thinks the more play people bring into the world, the better off humanity can be

At the end, Zander leaves listeners with questions worth sitting with:

How much do you play?

What type of play do you remember from childhood that really stimulated you?

And perhaps most importantly:

What is preventing you from playing every day?

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