Pat, The Play Lady, inspires children and adults to play

through her series of Let’s Play books, work she co-creates

with Christine Alexander and for the Let’s Play America’s

Play Day Handbooks.

In March 2009 I founded a play committee in Takoma Park, Maryland USA. I

had witnessed the decline in fun free play like I had experienced as a child. I

discovered the non-profit KaBOOM was naming cities A Playful City USA if you

applied, mapped your playgrounds, and held a Play Day. The City of Takoma

Park was named A Playful City USA nine years in a row until the program ended.

In less than five years, this local play committee had grown into the non-profit

Let’s Play America (LPA). It was holding three Play Days a year besides closing

streets to play and adding play experiences to other events. I became known

as the Play Day expert. I regularly spoke about Play Days at conferences, was

interviewed by the media, and wrote articles on play.

During COVID-19, Let’s Play America held three virtual Play Days and published

two Play Day Handbooks, one for in-person Play Days, and another for virtual

Play Days. These two Play Day Handbooks have helped many people and

communities. The non-profit changeX.org heard about the Play Day Handbooks.

They asked me to submit a Play Day Project, which was immediately approved

and funded. People from around the world have been applying for the Play Day

Project funding and over twenty communities have been successful.

Play Day Handbooks are one way in which we can encourage more community

play.