Project Play

Project Playground

2010-08-10T11:56:00.000-07:00

Recently, I was perusing the TIME website and came across a video called “Building a Better Playground,” which featured footage from the opening of Imagination Playground in New York City on July 27, 2010. This is a one-of-a-kind 300-piece playground that allows children to engage in unstructured creative play through interesting elements such as giant loose building blocks that float in water, kid size tunnels, and a listening course, where children can talk into linked funnels and tubes that project sound from varying outlets.

David Rockwell, the founder and CEO of Rockwell Group, conceived the blueprint for Imagination Playground five years ago aiming to illustrate the need for children of all ages to experience different varieties of play and to work together to solve problems. I was thrilled to see a playground that encompasses kids’ desire to create, while still including traditional playground equipment that promotes motor skill growth.

It is ventures like this that afford children the opportunity to grow mentally, creatively, and physically. Whether it is through an elaborate NYC playground or nostalgic games like Kick the Can and Ghost in the Graveyard, we as parents need to provide an outlet for our children to express themselves and learn.

From PLAY Day to PAY Day

2010-08-03T09:14:00.000-07:00

As a mother and advocate for creative, unstructured play, I have noticed that the most proclaimed benefits of unstructured play are of physical dimension (i.e. weight loss, cardiovascular health, muscle building, etc.). But there is so much more to be gained on a social and mental level from creative play, and these additional benefits are often overlooked.

Engaging in outdoor play (and creative play in general), allows children to experience a number of real-life, societal roles such as leader, follower, negotiator, decision maker, problem solver, and more. By learning the qualities and expectations of each at a young age, children naturally become more prepared for these roles as adults in the workplace.

When children grow up, they encounter basic problems like, “If I cut here will it fit here?” or “How can I stop the glue from dripping?” As they progress, children begin to seek solutions to more challenging problems. These series of “challenges” build upon each other as the child gets older, each one preparing them for the next, eventually transferring over into adulthood.

Through backyard play children are able to enact different roles and to learn valuable skills such as how to negotiate with their peers and to create new rules. Unstructured play also provides children with circumstances in which they have to solve spontaneous problems that arise. Possessing these skills is just as important (if not more so) than having “natural smarts” when it comes to achievement.

I believe that parents realize the value of unstructured and imaginative backyard play extends much further than its physical benefits. This type of play can offer a child something so unique and valuable—the tools to ensure a productive and bright future—and it would be a shame to pass that up!

-MB

Time to Play

2010-07-28T09:03:00.000-07:00

I recently received the latest issue of Time magazine and was immediately drawn to the cover article titled, “The Case Against Summer Vacation.” The article discussed the negative impact that “summertime” is having on students and claims that summer vacation is an outdated ritual from the farming days that offers no intellectual benefits today.

The author was vehemently opposed to any type of summer break, claiming, “When American students are competing with children around the globe who may be spending four weeks longer in school each year, larking through summer is a luxury we can't afford. What's more, for many children — especially children of low-income families — summer is a season of boredom, inactivity and isolation.”

As a parent of two young kids and a proponent of unstructured playtime and its many benefits, this statement did not sit well with me. Summer is not merely an opportunity to perfect “larking” skills, but rather a more relaxed time in which children can explore other avenues of learning and playing without their parents having to “break the bank.” Exercising physically is just as important as exercising mentally, and summer vacation affords children a wonderful opportunity to do both in ways they cannot do in school.

For example, summer may well become the only time in which children can exercise because according to the Journal of School Health, only 3.8% of elementary schools provide daily physical education and already, 22% of schools do not require students to take any physical education classes.

In addition, while mandating that students enroll in school all-year-round may increase standardized test scores, allowing children to be carefree and creative from June through August heeds far greater intellectual and social benefits. Participating in unstructured play has the ability to foster leadership, problem solving, and negotiation skills in a way that cannot be taught by sitting at a desk all year.

Summer can definitely be a time for learning and expanding kids’ minds, but rather than sitting indoors learning geometry for five hours, they should also have the opportunity to experience first-hand how to work with others, create games and negotiate rules by engaging in unstructured, backyard play. Classic nostalgic games such as Kick the Can, Treasure Hunt, and Ghost in the Graveyard are great outlets for kids of all ages to learn to creatively work together, while still having fun.

More companies than ever before are implementing “summer hours” in order to provide employees with more vacation time. If we, as working adults, appreciate and reap the benefits associated with summer breaks, why would we strive to take this away from our children?

But We Don’t Have a Coach!

2010-07-07T09:34:00.000-07:00

One day, I suggested to my son and his friends that they go over to the field at our nearby park and start a baseball game. “But we can’t,” one of them replied, “We don’t have a coach.” At first I thought the kids were joking, but then I realized they were serious.

Today, children are participating in so many organized sports that they simply don’t have time to play. These kids are playing competitively at much younger ages, allowing them to filter into the already 7 million kids competing at the high school level, according to Orthopedics Society of America. What happened to children just wandering outside and starting a game of kickball or softball on their own with their neighborhood friends?

As parents, we can’t let over zealous coaches and the “will to win” get the best of our kids. We need to relish in the fact that it is okay to just go outside and play! In fact, the entire month of June was dedicated to the “No Child Left Inside” movement in Illinois, which aims to get kids off the couch and away from the TV in order to enjoy playing outside.

Backyard play gives children far more than just a few hours of exercise. By interacting with kids of all ages, children learn many great leadership skills like negotiation and creativity.

It’s vital that families encourage kids to go outside and play with their peers or even make up a new game that they can teach the neighborhood. Because in the end, our children don’t remember how many games they won or lost, but rather the friendships and memories they made while they were simply having fun playing outside.

And by the way, Project Play is currently on a quest to identify “Chicago’s Favorite Backyard Game.” Throughout June, July, and August, we’ll be polling kids and collecting votes, so don’t hesitate to cast your vote on this very blog. In September, we’ll be announcing the winner, so stay tuned.

-MB

Get Them Out to Play This Summer

2010-04-30T14:12:00.001-07:00

Summer is here and it's time to get the kids out to play. Spend an evening talking about the great games you played with your neighborhood friends. See if your kids know the rules to these games or what games they do like to play. The inspiration to play can come from anywhere but this important tradition is one that every kid needs to experience.

Today, with organized sports, academic pressures and scheduled activities, kids are not out playing like we did in the past. They are losing the opportunity to learn to be creative and negotiate with their peers - skills that they will take into adulthood.

Perhaps most disturbing are the statistics that in the last 30 years obesity rates for children ages 2-5 have doubled and for children ages 6-11 have tripled. Children need to spend some time getting outside and moving. It takes them away from the television and the refrigerator and gives them the opportunity to enjoy the fresh air.

As parents, we need to stop the madness and recognize that it is okay to have downtime and just play. So make a commitment this summer to give your kids time without television, videos and distractions. Get them inviting some friends over and get them out to play.

Use Inspiration to Keep Playing All Winter

2009-12-18T14:22:00.000-08:00

As the weather turns cold, the ability to get out and play diminishes for kids. It becomes easy to spend their time behind the computer or in front of the television. Backyard games like “kick the can” and “ghost in the graveyard” are shelved until next spring.

Although there may be opportunities to play on a beautiful snowy day or that odd afternoon when the temperature warms up, the chances become more limited. Getting together with the neighborhood gang can be more challenging when everyone is inside.

With a little inspiration, however, kids can get their friends playing and use the indoors to create new games. Here are just a few ideas to get the kids playing this winter.

Blankets to Forts: Take the blankets out of the linen closet and let your kids invite friends over for a fort-making bonanza. With a few folding chairs, some cardboard and even the cushions off the old couch, the kids will be busy for a full afternoon creating tunnels and forts.

Board Game Tournament: Set up tables in the basement and pull out those board games that are stacked in the closet. Let the kids invite friends for a tournament and watch them work out the details of who will play against whom.

Treasure Hunt: Prepare paper clues that take the kids from place to place throughout the house. Have your kids invite some friends for an afternoon hunt. You can even break into two teams, hiding two treasures to see who finds it first. To keep the action going, make the “treasure” a fun game, art project or cooking adventure.

Charades: We love a good game of charades with friends. Divide the kids into teams and have them create the clues. Mom can be the judge and time keeper to get the game going.

There are many ways to inspire the kids and get them up off the couch to create an entire afternoon of adventure. Playing games with their friends makes them use their imaginations and negotiation skills as they work together.

Marlene Byrne
Author, Project Play

As the Evenings Get Dark

2009-09-25T13:10:00.000-07:00

Fall is a great time of year for backyard games. The kids are back in school and they need to release energy with some "outside" play time. One of the best things about the fall is that the evenings get dark and the kids can change up from their summertime games.

This fall, I will publish KICK THE CAN, our first chapter book in paperback. The book highlights this classic game of hiding and trying to free the prisoners on base. But more than that, it highlights a game for a little older group of kids who can play in the dark - perfect for fall.

Kick the Can is a great game where the person "IT" has to find the hiding places of everyone else before anyone kicks the can. By calling out their names and hiding places, he or she captures the group. (Check out all the rules on www.projectplaybooks.com)

As with all backyard games, playing in the dark makes it even more adventurous. My kids use our front porch as base and you can hear them throughout the backyards, having fun.

If you can, get the kids out this fall to enjoy the fresh air and play in the dark. Maybe even get out in the backyard yourself and enjoy their antics.

Kids at Barnes & Noble Ready to Play

2009-08-18T13:15:00.001-07:00

As part of a storytime series, I read at a Barnes & Noble in Chicago today. These events are so much fun and allow me interact with kids, seeing their acceptance of the Project Play stories.

More importantly, I get to talk with them about the games they play and the things they like to do with their friends. Two of the children at today's event said they really don't play with friends. What an amazing statement. When I asked them what they did, they mentioned video games and television. I do, however, believe that if they were in a book store, reading must be somewhere in their lives as well.

During the event, I read "Follow the Leader" and "Treasure Hunt," in which the kids had to find the clues hidden in the illustrations on the pages. Once we were done, I gave the children clues to go and find in the children's book section. It seems I never have enough clues hidden because they all want to look for more clues when we are done.

Every time I get the reactions from my "treasure hunt kids," I am reminded of how this simple game, that can be played inside or outside, resonates. When it comes to play, children want our time, to have fun and the opportunity to interact with each other.

A grandmother came up to me after the reading and thanked me for bringing back these games. She said she was unhappy with how little her grandchildren played outside and was afraid to tell her daughter to make it a priority. She hoped the discussion of the books would be an easy way to broach the subject.

I told her the whole reason for Project Play was to inspire kids, parents and hopefully, whole neighborhoods to get out and play. I really hope they do.

The fun story of a Garbage Softball Game

2009-07-22T10:51:00.000-07:00

Last Friday, my daughter's softball team, which I coach, and another team that was in the bottom of the standings of our league held a "Garbage" softball game. We invited all the families from both teams. The girls were told it was for fun and they should wear a "fun" outfit - not their team uniforms. They showed up with colored hair, backwards shirts and even two different shoes.

To make the game fun, we started with water balloon hitting practice. This turned into a water balloon catching contest before we actually started the game.

For the first inning, runners on base had to put on Clown shoes to run to second. In order to be safe at third, they had to pop a balloon by sitting on it. All catchers wore boas around their neck and the girls waiting to hit had the opportunity to get their nails painted or get a stick-on tattoo.

By the end of the night, the parents, siblings and the girls were all playing ball. It was a blast!!

Perhaps the best thing about it for me, is that when the girls think back about their season in softball, it won't be the coach who ran the score up to 21-0 or the argument a parent had with one of our refs. Their memory will be about learning the skills of the game during the season and how much fun we had ending it. Even with a losing record.

I only wish that more of the coaches could remember that kids (these were nine and ten year old girls) are motivated by their experience not just winning. At this age, don't we just want to teach them the game and keep them playing long enough to find out if they will be any good? Too many organized sports are losing young players because they have a negative experience before anyone even knows if they will have great skills.

So feel free to steal the Garbage Game idea, get out and play, and inspire your next team to have fun. Then they will keep playing the sport long enough to determine where their skills and natural talent can take them.

Marlene Byrne
Author, Project Play

How much physical activity do children need?

2009-07-14T11:02:00.000-07:00

To be honest, I never really thought about this question before. I’ve always felt children should play outside as often as they can with family and friends, and this is their exercise. So I was very surprised to discover that for the first time in 2008, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention created a Physical Activity Guideline for Americans.

What a shame that we even need this. We’re so wrapped up in TV, computers, cell phones and video games that we need the government to give us a rulebook to get our bodies moving.

But I’m also surprised by what they recommend: 60 minutes of exercise each day for children and adolescents.

Only 60 minutes? Did I read that wrong?

60 minutes is nothing during spring, summer and fall. Even during the winter kids can snowboard or ski for hours at a time. When I was growing up, we played games like “kick the can” or “ghosts in the graveyard” for hours, stopping only after the street lamps came on.

And what about that word “need?” Are we talking only physically? If children stop running around in the backyard after 60 minutes, will we limit their opportunity to develop skills like negotiation or creativity that are so important to have in life? I wonder what the Center for Disease Control and Prevention would say about that…

— MB

Is Your Backyard a Safe Place for Kids?

2009-07-07T06:51:00.000-07:00

As you know, I’m a huge advocate of getting kids out in the backyard for games like “Ghosts in the Graveyard” or “Cops and Robbers.” If it sparks their imagination and fosters creativity, I’m all for it.

But a recent article in Prevention, a magazine about healthy living, reminded me that we need to make sure our backyards are safe. According to the Home Safety Council, nearly a quarter of all drownings in the U.S. happens near home. They recommend people install a five-foot tall fence entirely around their pools.

The article, entitled “8 Health Risks in Your Own Backyard,” is a great eye-opener for families that spend a great deal of time in the backyard. (As they should!) A few of the items listed are things you wouldn’t normally give a second thought to, like having a weather-worn deck (which increases your chances of falling) or a bird bath—the perfect breeding place for mosquitoes.

If I had to add another one to the article, I’d warn parents against outlining their gardens with bricks near swing sets or having clutter in their yard to trip on. You never know when a child could fall off a swing or the monkey bars, and the last thing you need are bricks to cushion a fall.

Take a few moments to check your own yard, make adjustments for safety, and get those kids out to play!

— MB

Quality Time with the Kids…Without the Price Tag

2009-06-30T06:11:00.000-07:00

I recently read an article on MSNBC.com that talked about how fewer Americans are taking vacations this summer as a result of the recession. According to a new AP-Gfk Poll, a third of Americans surveyed said they’ve already canceled at least one trip this year because of financial concerns.

Like many other articles that discuss the effects of the recession, the MSNBC piece was depressing. However two of the people interviewed in the article brought up something I feel is very important: just because you don’t have money for a vacation this year doesn’t mean you have less time to spend with the kids outdoors.

Many people forget that the real reason for vacationing isn’t about sightseeing or getting a tan. It’s about spending quality time with the family. If you can’t afford to escape to the Caribbean this summer, there’s plenty of other, inexpensive ways to play with the kids and create fond memories.

If you engage in backyard games with your kids—games like “kick the can,” “freeze tag,” and “cops and robbers,” your kids will be on cloud nine. They will have tons of fun and it doesn’t have to be somewhere special. It could be at a local beach or park or even some nearby sand dunes. Invite the neighbors, they may not be vacationing either.

When the kids are older, they’ll never forget the times you all played together outside for hours on end. Children aren’t impressed by expensive airfare or luxurious hotels. They’re impressed by things like their dad hitting a home run in a pick-up game of baseball or their mom teaching a new way to play “capture the flag.”

These are the memories they’ll keep for a lifetime.

— MB

Baseball Hazard

2009-06-03T11:43:00.000-07:00

Baseball and softball season is here and unfortunately, so are the stories of parents, coaches and umps arguing and playing with unsportsmanlike behavior. The Chicago Tribune reported the first arrest of a parent who got into an altercation with an ump during a children's baseball game and had to be charged. How many of these incidents never get reported?

The stress and anxiety that we all place on youth sports is not something left for just adults. Kids are feeling the pressure and competitiveness unlike ever before, and since organized sports are starting younger than ever, they get this pressure early on in their sports participation.

In fact, 70 - 80% of kids who begin playing a sport at an early age drop out by age 15. Their top 10 reasons for quitting include not having fun, too much emphasis on winning, and too much pressure from the coaches.

I have the opportunity to coach girl's softball and it is evident to me that many coaches and parents take winning too seriously. When you are pressing kids in a game where you are slaughtering the other team or putting players in the outfield of every game to win, you have lost perspective. There is a lesson to be learned in being competitive and trying your best, but we need to rethink at what age we make it a priority. The goal for youth sports should be to expose children to sports, get them active and keep their interest so they have the opportunity to learn the game.

If we determine who is good at sports and who is not at a very young age, we are going to miss the great athlete who hits his growth spurt in middle or high school. We are going to watch the kids that peak early, fizzle out and we will lose overall participation.

Let's teach the kids the skills of the game, how to be a good sport and show them how to have fun. That way they can determine how long they want to stay engaged. If we concentrate on making them athletes with sound skills and great sportsmanship instead of constantly focusing on winning, we will really be doing something for the future.

Earth Day

2009-04-22T14:50:00.001-07:00

Welcome to Earth Day! What a great day to get out and play. Or, stay in and play if the weather is bad where you live. It really doesn't matter.

Games like Kick the Can and Follow the Leader are great ideas for kids and their friends. Keep them off the couch and use the excuse of "Earth Day" to turn off the TV and the video games.

Even if they have to stay in the house, they can play Treasure Hunt or Build Forts with their friends. Games like these use imagination and what better way to keep their brains active and creative.

So enjoy Earth Day, conserve some power and have fun.

Marlene

as baseball season gets underway, so does bad sportsmanship

2009-04-20T12:19:00.000-07:00

As a softball coach and mother of two, I cannot believe how many parents and coaches—those who are supposed to be role models for children—engage in bad sportsmanship.

And not just verbally.

Each year, the National Association of Sports Officials receives more than 100 reports of bad sportsmanship involving physical violence. Umpires are getting knocked unconscious, coaches are getting black eyes, and fathers are serving jail time as a result of their behavior.

As a parent, I cannot help but ask—what happened to having our kids join sports for the sake of having fun, making friends, getting exercise, and discovering their passions? When did winning become the primary concern?

After finishing my first two books in the Project Play series, I didn’t hesitate to write a third that addresses this serious issue. I want to remind parents that when they throw tantrums during their kids’ sporting events, it not only makes them a bad role model, it negatively affects their children.

It’s important for us to let children lead their own lives. If there is anything time and experience have taught us, it is that life can be unfair. The next time an umpire makes a questionable call, instead of slapping the bleachers or storming out into the field, use it as a golden opportunity to teach your child how to deal with life’s inequalities.

This way, whether during their work or personal life, your child will be better equipped to handle the moments when things just don’t work out the way they expected.

Remember, baseball is America’s favorite pastime. And it isn’t because of bad sportsmanship.

Marlene

in the spirit of fun and adventure: a new blog!

2009-04-16T12:38:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Project Play Blog! As I gear up for another exciting year in the children’s book industry, I decided now is the perfect time to jump on the blog bandwagon for my new book series, created under the umbrella of Project Play.

To give you a little background, I grew up in a small town in Wisconsin playing backyard games like “Kick the Can” and “Follow the Leader.” I was inspired to create Project Play after realizing that today, scheduled activities, electronic games, and organized sports have replaced the carefree days of playing in the backyard, where creativity is born.

With this inspiration, I founded Project Play and wrote Treasure Hunt, Follow the Leader, and Just a Baseball Game—children’s books that inspire young readers to follow the lead of the Edgebrook gang as they entertain one another in backyard games.

I am excited to say that since its debut in the fall of 2008, Project Play has been picked up by a number of publications, including Chicago Parent magazine, Time Out Chicago, South Florida Parenting Magazine, BusinessWeek, the Midwest Book Review, FamilyCorner.com, and The Newton Kansan.

This year has proved equally promising as I recently secured a major distribution contract with BookMasters, Inc. As a result, the books are now available to bookstores at www.AtlasBooks.com and to consumers through Amazon.com and Target.com.

During these next few weeks, I’m hoping the books will be made available through Barnes & Noble, and I plan to release my fourth book in the series—Kick the Can—this spring.

It’s important to me, as I continue to introduce this series with my wonderful illustrator Jesse Graber and dedicated team at Celtic Marketing, to have the support of family, friends, and individuals who are passionate about encouraging creativity and imagination in children.

Thank you for your ongoing dedication to Project Play, and I hope you enjoy the blog!

— Marlene