Takoma Park Play Day Gets Children Active

In an effort to inspire children to be more active and creative, Takoma Park Mayor Bruce R. Williams has proclaimed September 22, 2012 as "Play Day," a fun-filled day for children to engage their minds and bodies with both physical and mental play.

This city-wide event was signed into effect by the City Council making it the fourth annual Play Day.

"Play Day is about encouraging creativity, getting the children away from electronic entertainment, and letting them interact with each other through physical activity," Councilman Terry Seamans said.

Play Day was the idea behind the organization Takoma Plays! which was created to develop a community where outdoor and indoor play are a regular part of the lives of children and adults. The organization claims physical health, mental health and general well being are all results of increased play time. In addition, the organization was created to forge stronger community ties among residents.

Pat Rumbaugh, the creator behind Takoma Plays! has researched play and is currently developing a children's book about play. She's hoping the book will be released for this upcoming event. The day will be filled with games that stimulate both the body and mind, including face painting, live musicians, and playful yoga by Willow Street Yoga. To let children live out their fantasy, the organization has arranged for touch-a-truck, an event where children will be able to play in actual dump trucks. Along with various local organizations and businesses that will be in attendance, Michelle Obama has been invited to guest speak at the event. She has yet to confirm her attendance.

Play Day is also part of an initiative to build more play spaces throughout the city. Currently, playgrounds within walking distance of children's homes are almost non existent. Takoma Park Elementary School is one of the schools in the city that is already taking initiative to support similar ideas. The school recently built an entirely new playground for students.

This push towards play and physical activity has proven through research to be extremely beneficial. The Takoma Park Play Day proclamation claims some of the benefits to increased play include developing cognitive skills that are linked to learning and improved social skills. In addition, with increased play comes better health including less of a risk to suffer from obesity-related diseased including diabetes and heart disease.

Rumbaugh would argue the benefits are much greater. "I feel like after you have your basic needs meet, your life is so much richer when you get to play," she said. She is concerned that children are not able to be as creative in today's society that is reliant on instant responses from the internet. "Even adults still need to fit in play. We were born to play," Rumbaugh said. "Some people think it's trivial, but I believe it makes your life richer and more valuable if you play," she added.