The Children at Play Network works at the community level to advocate for free play in the outdoors so that every child has a place in nature where they feel free, safe, healthy, empowered and joyful.
The Children at Play Network connects children to nature through free play.
The Children at Play Network works at the community level to advocate for free play in the outdoors so that every child has a place in nature where they feel free, safe, healthy, empowered and joyful.
Claude defined his play path in the 60s with the ability to roam freely across a large territory without much adult supervision. A stingray bike carried him for miles as he and his friends’ found patches of forest where they created worlds and defended them from others. Academically he is an evolutionary biologist – a lens that has him questioning how we got to the state of play today, and what we can do to revise it for the future. He favors the let’s see if we can get this thing to fly approach.
Zach grew up playing outside, with the freedom and territory every kid needs. (He has the stiches to prove it.) Since then, he's dedicated his grown-up life to supporting kids and their families. He's worked as a theater educator, managed summer camps, and told whimsical stories as a playwright and puppeteer. Now working with CAPN, Zach helps create meaningful play opportunities that are seriously fun–and build healthy, resilient kids.
Jenny grew up running feral in the creeks and woods of Henry County, KY. Homeschooled with her sister, Jenny was able to spend large amounts of time outdoors in imaginative play, and could usually be found dressed as Laura Ingles Wilder or Robin Hood. This deep love for free play and its importance to child development led Jenny to later depart from her career in architecture and begin working in early childhood education. After designing the playground at the preschool where she worked, she knew this was the play work she was meant to do. She's passionate about helping all children have access to quality outdoor play spaces.
The Children at Play Network was established and continues its work regionally through the generous support of foundations, corporations and community businesses. CAPN continues to seek sponsorships to expand the reach and depth of the network to provide ever greater opportunities for children to connect to nature through free play to support their healthy development.
PNC Bank, through Grow Up Great, provided seed funding support and the Children at Play Initiative was born. With additional and continued assistance that effort has grown into the Children at Play Network, which through a web of relationships extends regionally to support children’s play opportunities.
The Brown-Forman Corporation joined CAPN as a sponsor in the development of Seeds for Urban Play, an effort to address issues of equity and access to safe outdoor free play through relationships with community-based organizations. Through these relationships, CAPN supports efforts determined and driven by communities to expand outdoor free play opportunities using a variety of strategies.
The Lift a Life Foundation became a CAPN sponsor in the second year of the Seeds for Urban Play initiative, supporting the development of a relationship with Play CousinsCollective resulting in free play days, free play facilitator training and the first Seeds for Urban Play Conference.
The Face It Movement is CAPN’s most recent sponsor, supporting a new initiative for families interested in experiencing outdoor free play as a protective factor against the effects of child abuse and neglect. Through the support of Face It, CAPN will launch the Play for Families Project in 2023. Play for Families includes a quarterly parent education component, followed by a Play Meet Up at Playcosystem, where families can experience true outdoor free play in action, as well as nurture their own relationships and support systems.
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