Creative Agency Encourages Play With Break Room Ball Pit

Creative agency Pearlfisher decided to add a bit of fun to their London office. They filled a gallery space with 81.000 white balls, turning the area into a giant ball pit.

"The idea was to create an interactive installation that promotes the power of play," Karen Welman, a founding creative partner, told Fast Company.

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"It is well known that kids learn through play, but arguably as adults we don't make enough time for it or neglect it altogether," she added. "Jump In helps to promote the idea that play is also important in the work place, and that actually interspersing play into the working day is good for productivity as well as creativity."

Pearlfisher has left the exhibit open and free to passersby, but they have been using the space during breaks and even for brainstorming meetings.

"People have been having energizing plays in the morning before work and on breaks, and we have also been holding meetings and brainstorms in the balls," Welman said. "Teams within many businesses are tasked with coming up with creative ideas on tap, but often the typical working environment isn't conducive to this."

The exhibit has been so popular that it's pretty much impossible to actually book time in the ball pit. This, as Welman notes, shows that maybe it's about time we think about how we de-stress.

"Play provides emotional and physical outlets and this is just as necessary for adults as it is for kids," she said. "Arguably adult play time does exist, it has just been re-branded as happy hour, or in the form of relaxation initiatives such as spas or sport. But this kind of release and relaxation can also be found in its purest form in simple and childlike playtime activities."

The ball pit is also helping a good cause. For every visitor the exhibit gets, Pearlfisher will donate £1 to Right to Play, a nonprofit that supports the use of sports and play in child development.