Information: playatlanta.org
For Cynthia Gentry, the role of play in a kid’s life is not just fun and games. It is essential to children developing creativity, figuring out how to work together, learning to weigh risks and pushing themselves to the limit. There are also all the physical benefits that come with hanging from trees, climbing monkey bars, dodging balls, turning cartwheels. Gentry, who calls herself a children’s play advocate, is founder of Play Atlanta, a nonprofit that works with cities and communities to envision and design play-friendly environments. Most recently, she has been consulting on plans for the new playground in Chastain Park. Gentry talked about why she is so serious about play and the tragedy that altered her career choice.
Q: How did you become so interested in play?
A: I had spent close to 20 years working for a couple of international consulting firms. One day, there was this horrific storm that knocked over a 100-year-old tree in Virginia-Highland. The tree landed on the car of my next-door neighbor, instantly killing the mom and two little baby boys. At the time, our neighborhood playground was a mud pit and completely unplayable. We raised over $300,000 in cash and in-kind contributions and built a new playground as a memorial to the family. I was so overwhelmed by what it did for the dad and for the community that it set me off on a new trajectory.
Q: How do you define play?
A: I am getting my master’s in play theory. The more I study play, the more I understand that it is too complex to define, other than it is child-led and intrinsically motivated.
Q: What about schools that have done away with recess?
A: That is absolutely absurd to me. It is against the law for adult workers not to have breaks, so why do we expect our children to function effectively sitting nonstop all day? When kids play outside during the day, even for only 30 minutes, they are more likely to play when they get home, and that is a good thing.
Q: Do you consider video or computer games a legitimate form of play?
A: I am not ruling them out. I am computer geek. I just don’t want electronics to be the only thing kids do because there are so many barriers to outdoor play. We have gone from a culture where children should be seen and not heard to where children are stuck in a room with a screen in front of them until they turn into adults. To me, that is cruel and unusual punishment, though they may not necessarily agree with me.
Q: Are you about building more playgrounds?
A: I hate to sound corny but if you build it they will come. I headed up the design competition for a playground in Woodruff Park. People thought we were out of our minds to put a playground in the heart of downtown. Sure enough, it is constantly populated with kids. But playgrounds are only a part of what I am talking about.
Q: What are you talking about?
A: I am hoping to catch the eye of developers wanting to build walk-able communities, what they call “Live, Work, Play.” Play to them right now means places to go out to dinner or have a drink, places for adults to play. What I am really trying to work on is how to design cities that are playable for kids and adults. Getting kids outside to play helps build stronger, healthier communities and kids.
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