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Making playtime a priority in St. Paul

The Junior League has joined with the city to set aside unstructured play time at rec centers to help kids and adults build bonds and have fun.

By CHRIS HAVENS, Star Tribune

Last update: April 29, 2008 - 11:37 PM

The Junior League of St. Paul is trying to make the city more playful.

Two years ago, while doing research in the community, the group realized that kids aren't playing enough, said league president Debbie Lee. And they're not playing enough with their parents.

The Junior League joined with the mayor's office and the Parks and Recreation Department for "St. Paul Plays," a program that sets aside time at rec centers for kids and their parents to play together.

The intention is to give kids some unstructured fun and one-on-one bonding time with adults.

The Junior League provides nonelectronic board games, snacks and volunteers. The city provides the space. Kids and adults are asked to just show up and have a good time.

As schedules get more structured and hectic, there's a growing consensus that kids aren't getting as much free time to play. Play is important in children's growth because it contributes to cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being, according to an American Academy of Pediatrics study.

"The reality is that play is a child's work; it's one of the most important ways children learn," said Marti Erickson, a developmental psychologist at the University of Minnesota. "Besides that, play is the context in which children develop important relationships -- and relationship skills -- and also expand their joy of living."

Different kinds of play serve different purposes, she said. Board games, for example, teach kids about taking turns, following directions, thinking strategically and losing gracefully, Erickson said.

The mayor's office got involved in the program through Mayor Chris Coleman's Second Shift initiative, which aims to provide extracurricular and educational activities for students.

The Junior League guarantees at least one play date a month, and events have happened at Arlington, Hancock, McDonough, Dayton's Bluff and West Minnehaha rec centers. "If we had the resources and more volunteers, we'd do more," Lee said.

The Junior League puts about $3,000 toward the playtime program.

Along with St. Paul Plays, the Junior League does a literacy program called Library Kids. The organization provides a book to every St. Paul Public Schools child who goes through pre-kindergarten screening and a brochure for parents about the importance of reading with and to their children.

So far, the playtime program has been well received, said Gwen Peterson, service area coordinator for the Parks and Recreation Department.

In many ways, she said, the game times level the playing field between parent and child by taking out the authoritarian role of mom or dad.

"It's been really great," she said.

The next play date is scheduled from 5 to 7 p.m. May 14 at the Hancock Rec Center.

Chris Havens • 651-298-1542

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