Wondering why you should attend a Workshop Entirely on Play (WE Play!)?

Here are just a sampling of what you'll take away from the experience:

1. Practical tools and resources for building playgrounds and advocating for play
2. Kazoo-playing skills
3. Tons of helpful information to take home
4. An in-depth knowledge of the importance of play
5. Connections to others in your region who are passionate about play
6. The opportunity to help build a playground in just one day
7. Sandpails full of inspiration!

At the Washington, D.C. WE Play! event Apr. 10, many participants came for the practical how-tos regarding playground building and play advocacy, and left feeling inspired and energized.

"I came because I wanted to find out more about how to plan and make an exciting playground for kids," said Inez Edwards, who runs the youth wellness program for the YMCA of Metropolitan Washington. "I'm motivated by the passion people have already put into playgrounds and parks. It's a community effort!"

Birju Patel, a senior at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, has been working with his university to build a playground. "One thing that inspired [my team] is we did a site visit and saw kids running around in an open field, playing with sticks and throwing rocks at each other. Knowing you have the resources to change that...you know the result will be spectacular," he said. "Learning the process — the Roadmap — was really important for me as a person who's trying to organize a playground project."

Participants heard from Steve Coleman, executive director for Washington Parks & People, who shared his the story of organizing a project that has brought a Washington, D.C. park back to life. The project has involved over 40,000 volunteers so far, who have cleaned up and restored a park that was once a haven for drug dealers. The project has created new jobs and made the park into a community gathering space, which includes a youth-tended garden. The youth sell the produce they grow in a Farmer's Market in the park.

"One day the drug dealers were there, selling heroin and PCP, and the next day the kids got there before the drug dealers and were selling peas and carrots," said Coleman. "The looks on the drug dealer's faces..."

This year's WE Play! events feature not just information on building playgrounds, but also lots of great tips and discussions on how to make play a priority in people's communities. Participants can choose between a playspace builder's track and a play advocacy track.

"At the play advocacy track at the D.C. WE Play!, we had great discussions about combating childhood obesity and ensuring safe play environments for all kids, especially those in at-risk communities," said Brooke Bennett, national advocacy manager for KaBOOM!. "Participants shared best practices, discussed how to engage other citizens, and learned how the KaBOOM! tools and resources could help them be catalysts for change in their communities."

The day following the Washington, D.C. WE Play!, participants had the opportunity to participate in a playground build with So Others Might Eat (SOME) Zagami House in Southeastern Washington, D.C., home to 12 formerly homeless and extremely low income families.

You can participate in an upcoming WE Play! event, too! Dates for upcoming events are below.

Upcoming WE Play! dates & locations

Learn more about WE Play!