"Where Do the Children Play?" Project

[Ashley L. Miller]

Outdoor play--unstructured, unscheduled, open-ended--is essential to a healthy childhood. A wide body of research is now showing that play is essential to healthy development, spiritual attunement, and emotional survival. It enhances social skills, teaches conflict resolution, increases fitness, improves learning, and reduces stress by connecting youth with the natural world. But it is disappearing, leaving overly structured young lives filled with lessons, practices, or time spent inside in front of screens.

The decisions we make every day about the character of our communities and the use of land make children less likely to venture outdoors and less able to connect with the natural environment. Sprawl and urban congestion corrupt marginal and border lands and leave fewer safe outdoor places to play. Cities are being designed without sidewalks, and housing developments are replacing forested land, leaving no tree behind and neglecting open spaces in their design.

These habits directly affect the recent dramatic increases we see in childhood obesity, attention difficulties, impaired social skills, lack of self-esteem, behavior problems and depression. Too many of our schools are reinforcing this disturbing trend by cutting back on gym and reducing--even eliminating--recess. A growing number of schools are being built without playgrounds.

Fortunately, these and other causes for the decline of play can be identified and ameliorated--if community leaders, stakeholders, educators, and parents become more aware of the importance of play in children’s lives and come together to assess and expand access to outdoor play in their communities.

NWF and "Where Do the Children Play?" inspire and help communities, in Michigan and beyond state lines, to map resources, listen to and observe children in their environments, and confront obstacles to play. Building on successful outreach in 2008-09 and existing resources with AmeriCorps member support, "WDCP?" will implement dialogue, projects, and policies that work towards bringing children back to a healthy relationship with the natural world, develop safe routes to schools, and revitalize neighborhood green spaces and parks in underserved communities with the least access to nature.

If you are interested in getting involved, please contact
Ashley Miller (AmeriCorps Intern for WDCP?) - [e-mail]
Elizabeth Goodenough (Film Originator and Outreach Director) - [e-mail]

To purchase the WDCP? DVD or accompanying volumes (A Place for Play, Secret Spaces of Childhood):
http://www.wfum.org/childrenplay/book.html
http://www.press.umich.edu/titleDetailDesc.do?id=11857

The following "WDCP?" public showings and conference presentations are scheduled this fall:

•“Get Involved” Open House at REI Northville, MI - 6:30 – 8:30p.m. (10/21/09) TODAY!!
•"Creating Healthy Schools, Raising Healthy Kids” Conference, Warrensville Heights, OH – 12:30-1:30 pm (11/13/09)
•Natural Learning Initiative Conference, North Carolina Botanical Garden, Chapel Hill, NC (11/05/09-11/07/09)
•Grace Church, Charleston, SC – 10:00-11:00 am (11/08/09)

[Connie Weber]

Check out some of our discussions on play--have you seen them?

It was nice to listen to your presentation. Tell Liz we think her work is important; we're doing our part to bring this conversation to the forefront.

Could we get an indication of how well a child plays on the major school tests? ;-)

Here are a few of the conversations we've had on the topic, probably of interest to you:


The Loss of Play

The Importance of Fun and Play

Play, Spirit, and Character