Here, we asked veteran play day organizers to share their best activities and success strategies. Get inspired to plan a play day for your neighborhood, your next family gathering, or simply for your kids in your own backyard.
What Timmarie Hamilton remembers most about the last Community-Wide Play Day in Springfield, Missouri, is the laughter -- lots of it -- as hundreds of kids ran through Fassnight Park pumping colored water through twisting tubes, bouncing on foam play mats, and gleefully plunging their arms into slimy tubs of wet flaxseed. "It's a lot of hands-on fun," says Hamilton, who attends the event each year with her daughter, Jahana, now age 9.
The giggles were equally plentiful at a series of Saturday morning play days on the town common in Amherst, Massachusetts, where local families enjoyed souped-up versions of such backyard games as croquet, Wiffle ball, and boccie. "Play, laughter, fun -- those were the three things we were shooting for," says the event's organizer, town sports and recreation director Bob Brandts. Children these days are scheduled to the max (school, homework, soccer, dance, violin ...), and computer and video games gobble up many free hours. So parents like Brandts and Hamilton want to make sure that the simple act of playing doesn't get lost in the shuffle. They suspect that kids would miss out on a lot more than just fun. And they're right. Studies show that time spent simply goofing around is essential for social development. It's when kids get valuable lessons in making friends, resolving conflicts, sticking with tasks, and managing setbacks. "There are certain skills you can't teach," notes Susan J. Oliver, executive director of Playing for Keeps, a national organization that tracks research on play. "You just have to learn by your own experience."
Enter the play day. Big or small, it's a great way to bring people together, celebrate the importance of just being silly, and encourage families to incorporate more playfulness into their daily lives. Because many play days center around simple games and recycled materials, it's easy to host one that's low cost -- and low effort. So check out the accompanying ideas for fun activities and planning tips from play day pros. These ideas can be adapted to any occasion: a community event at your school or a local park, a block party, a family reunion, or just an afternoon in the yard for your kids and their pals. Because, really, life should be all fun and games.
