The Playful Warrior At Work

LET'S PLAY

And many more!

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In today's fast-paced and often stressful work environments, incorporating play isn't just beneficial—it's essential.

Research has shown that play is a powerful tool for enhancing creativity, improving problem-solving skills, and fostering innovation. Playful activities activate the brain's prefrontal cortex, which is involved in cognitive functions such as planning, decision-making, and social behavior. This can lead to increased productivity and more creative solutions in the workplace.

When employees engage in play, they are more likely to think outside the box, work together effectively, and approach challenges with a positive mindset.

What they're saying...

“Kara, thank you so much for the amazing session you led for our team! Everyone absolutely loved it, and the energy was off the charts. You truly brought the FUN and creativity we needed. Your playful approach made such an impact that our team members are still talking about it!”

Brock Johnson, Founder, InstaClubHub

"I am so grateful for the transformative PLAYShops and energy Kara brought to the SelfHealers Circle. Her workshops were amazing—refreshing, informative, and deeply impactful. My inner child felt so alive and joyful, and I could see the same light in our members as they embraced new experiences with play. Kara's wisdom and passion are truly felt, and her approach to creative expression is something that will continue to resonate with our community. Thank you, Kara, for sharing your gifts with us and helping us heal in such a joyful and empowering way!"

Dr. Nicole LePera, The Holistic Psychologist

Play Deprivation Is A Risk For Our Health - According to Stuart Brown, MD. National Institute for Play.

Play is synonymous with innovation and helps create a culture of belonging.
Play improves our mental health and well-being.
Play reduces cortisol, the hormone responsible for stress
Play increases our productivity, contrary to what many think!
Play leads to brain plasticity and adaptability.
Play invites joy!
Play minimizes burnout and maintains high-level performance.
Play improves creativity and problem-solving skills. (When our brain is in a positive state, productivity rises by 31%)
Play energizes us and brings fresh ideas....and so much more!

LET'S PLAY

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STARBUCKS

“As a part of building and solidifying our relationships between Starbucks and Nestlé we take turns hosting virtual teambuilding events …Our most recent event included a play session with Kara to tap into our creative sides to help emphasize connection and bring our teams closer together. This session was critical to address our daily fatigue and burnout and was two hours of engaged fun. It was great to get some much-needed laughs out in the middle of a busy workday!”

- Jason Javid, Global Channel Development, Starbucks

LINDYWELL

“Kara is gifted as a teacher and a facilitator. Her workshop for our community provided a perfect blend of education and fun. The session FLEW by because of the way she kept us engaged, laughing, in the moment and fully connected. Our community loved the PLAYshop and I highly recommend it for team bonding, community building - or just plain FUN!

- Robin Long, Founder/CEO, Lindywell

RACE ROSTER

“Our leadership team was searching for an uplifting experience that our entire team could enjoy. In short, The Playful Warrior not only provided the experience we wanted, they provided an experience we didn’t even know our team needed. We laughed, cried, and danced our way through the session. Our team wanted more. I can confidently say that this session had a significant positive impact on the mental health of our team.”

- Brandon Laan, VP of Sales, Race Roster

UKG

“Having Kara lead one of our team building activities this year was one of the highlights of our year and we have since recommended you to other teams at UKG as well. We had such a wonderful experience.Thank you for bringing out fun and play within teams!”

- Nicole Elmore, Senior Human Insights Program Specialist, UKG

PROCORE

“Kara is doing tremendous work in the corporate world as she helps teams spark creativity, minimize burnout, improve productivity, increase joy, reduce anxiety, and boost morale. I’m grateful that my team and I at Procore got to experience one of Kara’s play sessions firsthand and highly recommend this experience. It brought us closer together, lifted us up and boosted our mental health. It’s the ultimate team connector and an amazing way to bring fun to the workplace.”

- Jose Dimaculangan, Manager, Implementation Services, Procore

PICK MY BRAIN

“Kara led my entire team through a series of really playful activities that brought out so many different versions of everyone… The collective feedback from my team was that they hadn’t remembered the last time they did something that escaped time so much. Kara is a master facilitator and has a basket of activities that just pull you into your inner child and playful self seamlessly. I am already thinking of building in a “play” accounting line into my budget…Thank you Kara. The whole world needs more of you and your offer.”

- Maxine Cunningham, CEO, Pick My Brain

AUTISM ONTARIO

“Working with Kara and The Playful Warrior was a wonderful experience. She planned so many fun and creative activities for our hour together and kept our families engaged throughout. The hour went by so fast because of how much fun we were having. It was a great experience and I would definitely book another play session in the future!”

- Jessica Steele, Service Navigator Team Lead Autism Ontario

RISING OAKS

“I want to thank you so much for the wonderful play session you provided on Tuesday evening for our board of directors. They are still raving about it. It really helped to break up our long meeting and keep us energized!”

- Lori Prospero, CEO, Rising Oaks

RACE ROSTER

“Wow, what an amazing opportunity for our team to escape our normal day to day routine…She made our session so fun, playful, and interactive even in a remote setting! Kara’s session is a refreshing reminder that we all need to let go of the self deprecating judgement we place on ourselves and tap into our inner child more often. Kara ended our session with a powerful, guided meditation that opens the door to further self reflection, which was a perfect way to end the session. If you are thinking of booking Kara for a corporate play session - don’t hesitate, you won’t regret it!”

- Nicole Deslippe, Sales Manager, Race Roster

MCMASTER UNIVERSITY

“Kara did an amazing job leading our employees through a lunch and learn about the Power of Play. Kara’s enthusiastic, approachable facilitation style is a breath of fresh air, and was incredibly helpful in having our group come out of their shells to focus on their well-being, all while having tons of fun!”

- Kyle Armstrong, Program Manager, Engagement & Wellness, McMaster University

LAURIER UNIVERSITY

“Kara offered a ‘Start your Day with Play’ workshop for Laurier alumni on Blue Monday, what is known as one of the darkest and saddest days of the year. You would have never known that was the case, as the Zoom call was full of smiles, laughter, positive energy, bright colours and fun. Scrolling through multiple zoom pages of attendees, it was evident how Kara captivates and inspires the audience to step outside of their comfort zones, allow joy in and have some fun. The workshop left me so energized to start the workday. Thank you Kara!”

- Lisa Andreana, Alumni Relations Officer, Wilfrid Laurier University

EPILEPSY TORONTO

“Kara led a wonderful virtual play session as a guest facilitator for our summer youth workshop series. She easily engaged a group of quiet teens with her enthusiasm and compassionate manner. It was heartwarming to see the virtual ‘walls’ come down as our youth participants took part in the activities and slowly became more relaxed and confident through the course of the session…Kara also graciously shared her personal story with our youth participants in a way that was authentic, inspiring, and grounded... Thank you Kara!”

- Elana Ellison, Coordinator of Children and Youth Services, Epilepsy Toronto

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My name is Kara and I'm the Founder and Chief Fun Officer of The Playful Warrior.

Are you looking for fun sessions that will have everyone in your office talking!?

What if you could offer staff an incredible, unforgettable experience during these challenging times? And boost mental health at the same time?

I've got you! I offer virtual PLAY sessions on Zoom. The play sessions I offer are anywhere between 15 minutes – 2 hours and I liken them to recess for adults.