Bernie De Koven

Bernie probably knows more of a practical nature about how to use games in a healthy way with children, adolescents or adults than anyone I know. -Brian Sutton-Smith

Bernie is one of the most inspiring and ingenious teachers I know. He is also a master of his subject -- learning through play. -Herb Kohl

• Life without fun is not worth much -- as many people who have achieved success and wealth at the expense of stress and depression realize. It should be easy to have fun -- yet most of us have forgotten how to play, how to invest life with enjoyment. Major FUN is the only person I know who not only knows about play, but knows how to teach it. May his efforts prosper, for they help us all. -Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
  
  
• Thanks Bernie! I think the whole RLF group enjoyed and learned from your presentation... We are all so busy these days that it is a luxury to step back and learn how to incorporate fun back into our work environment and get into the "FLOW". We now have point in time we can all relate back to on how "Jack, Bernie or other RLF members" called the meeting! Thanks again for a great presentation and a few moments of laughter. Life is so short we need to take a moment to enjoy each other as people, too! - Edmund Gee, Deputy Forest Supervisor, Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit Office

The unexpected success of Bernie's presentations at the Esalen Institute have resulted in the expansion of his programs to weekend and weeklong events. Some comments from participants in previous session follow:

• "Just a reminder about how much I love what you are doing. Probably the most
  profound for me is your unequivocal shaping of the positive side. For
  years I have been telling friends that I am looking for the guru who sees me
  as whole and helps me extend my joy, beauty and "fun" instead of the other
  way around. So guess you could say I've found my guru, though you need not
  take it to heart because I actually don't believe in guru's". - Marah
• "An uplifting, joyful experience. We learned how to better our lives through enhanced 'fun.' Bernie gave us a set of tools to make our lives more enjoyable and how to bring this gift to others. This program is a 'must' as a mainstay at Esalen. - Cal Todd
• "I found the games so much fun. Bernie...was so caring and sensitive to the group. I had an outstanding experience." - Marilyn Todd
• "I wanted to tell you that I sent your note about safe play to many of my friends. We all needed to believe that the world is still a place were we can play. Even if we have to just pretend. I also wanted to thank you for the wonderful weekend. I continue to work through many of the ideas that you introduced and reintroduced to me. I came home so relaxed that it took me days to get back to my desk. Even now I continue to be able to reenter that peaceful state. Thank you. - Jay Beckwith - (see Jay's article on "Complexification")
• "This weekend's laughter, learnings about flow, fun, alone & together, & growing sense of community will reverberate in my life for a long time. Bernie is a master at silliness as a path to Oneness." - Nancy Young
• "Deep Fun takes me to a place where I can describe myself as 'plays well with others.'" - Nan Fox
• "Surprising, bouncing, laughing, listening, discovery, learning, connection, play, freedom, balance, peace & new friends." - Ariel Green
• "A time for silly, giddy giggles in a safe, supportive cocoon. It was an incredibly joyous, connecting experience with a group of open and warm friends. Bernie made me laugh and let go of inhibitions and play with such fun - he's a special person who promotes safety and fun." - Bettina Gantsweg
• "Bernie , yes it was fun! Can't tell you how great it was to get out of our "heady" routines. Its amazing how we lose the ability to play. Your workshop gave us that moment in time to capture that feeling of joy. We have missed it since we returned to Texas and our new home (jobs -work) and volunteer commitments. But those moments of frolicking on the floor are alive in our memories and we both want to encourage it in our family and friends gatherings. We loved not using any equipment that weekend. Just want you to know we were frayed and fragmented when we came to your workshop but when we left, we had feelings of joy which we hopefully can keep sharing with others. Thanks for the memories. Lynne and Mark

Bernie's revolutionary understanding of theater has led him to develop and implement events celebrating groups of all ages and sizes, from couples and families to schools and communities. His Interplay Curriculum, a comprehensive program in self-esteem and social skills based on over 1000 children's games, was used in classrooms and playgrounds throughout the city of Philadelphia. For the Philadelphia Bicentennial, he designed and orchestrated Playday on the Parkway, a community games event involving hundreds of thousands of celebrants. He established The Games Preserve, a retreat center in Eastern Pennsylvania where teachers, therapists and recreators could conduct in-depth investigations of games and play. In his book, The Well Played Game , he voiced a philosophy of "healthy competition" that formed the core teachings of the New Games Foundation. He became co-director of the foundation, and developed an internationally successful program in facilitating collaborative games and events.

Bernie has designed award-winning games for Ideal Toy Company, Children's Television Workshop, CBS Software and Mattel Toys.

He earned his Master's degree in theater from Villanova University where he received a Rockefeller Fellowship in playwriting.

Bernie is a lifetime member of The Association for the Study of Play and the 2006 winner of the Ifill-Raynolds award from the North American Simulation and Gaming Society.

Recent interviews with Bernie:

• with Kristi McFarland
• with Michael Gilbert