34 things to do at your PlayDay - and more

When we were at the TASP/IPUSA conference, I was approached by a wonderfully glowing woman, Dr. Joyce Hemphill, PhD., who, carrying copies of both The Well-Played Game and Junkyard Sports, immediately endeared herself to me.

Dr. Hemphill, who teaches a Play Class at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, Wisconsin, leads a PlayDay Initiative, which, according to the site, "is an initiative to bring free and unstructured play back into the center of children’s lives."

"Free and unstructured play," the site explains, "offers many benefits to a child’s physical, social and cognitive development and is being slowly removed from daily routines due to issues such as parents working several jobs, over-scheduled free time and the systematic reduction and elimination of recess in our nation’s schools. PlayDays, which can range from a matter of hours to an entire day (England), are beginning to gain popularity in the United States and Madison, Wisconsin is at the forefront of this movement."

Looking at the site, I discovered why my books were so valuable to her, as exemplified by this list of recommended PlayDay activities (and even more ideas in the library of photos of past events) - almost all of them in one way or another, using junk. "Junkyard Sports," Dr. Hemphill explained, "is a source of constant inspiration. The Well-Played Game helps us understand why."

Needless to say, I was conceptually dancing the Dance o' Glee.



from Bernie DeKoven, funsmith