There is a new phenomenon emerging in several countries including the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia, called “Men’s Sheds.” It is basically parallel play for older men who are relearning friendship skills.[49] Men who are lonely—many retired, but not all—are left by their loved ones in, well, sheds full of woodworking tools where they can work on crafts projects in parallel with other men. Remember, men tend to develop friendships in the course of shared activities, and these crafts allow this while not requiring direct collaboration—parallel play.
