As much as we love Winter in Michigan, by the time February unfolds, some people may experience some fatigue. I know I do, and maybe our children do, too. Barring an outright and actual change of scenery, can we experiment with a little perspective shift? Play is a great way to re-set our attitude, and it promotes holistic health at this time of year when the dark days might be taking a bit of a  toll. “We have known for years that play is critical to healthy child development,” explains Terry Bravender, MD, MPH, Professor of Pediatrics and Psychiatry, University of Michigan. “Play is not frivolous, it enhances child brain development, helps regulate stress, and promotes child-parent bonding. (Yogman 2018) A recent systematic review has found that these effects are enhanced by play in natural environments, (Fyfe-Johnson 2021), so one of the keys to better mental and physical health for children may be a combination of unstructured play and nature exposure.”

This expert counsel has me thinking about the concept of “play days” as an investment in our individual and collective well-being. What could it look like to activate a family playday? A school play day? A community-wide play day?

Family Play day?
Consider opening up a conversation with your entire family – if you live with children, I don’t have to tell you that even very young children have strong ideas about play decisions – with some of these questions: “What might a family play day look like for our family?” “What if we could make that play day happen in our yard and home spaces? In our local neighborhood and community spaces?” “Thinking about sustainability and using what we have, what could we use to help us play?” Here’s the thing, though. Please don’t get hung up on the length of time. An entire day may not be realistic. I get that! Your family play day could be 30 minutes, two hours, a half day, a full day; all are great. The point is to access some of the benefits of play within the context of what works for your family. Then choose a day on the calendar and try out some or all of your family’s ideas. I know families have many commitments, yet February is perhaps the lightest month for those commitments, and the restorative health benefits of play tip the scales towards action. And, who knows? If a play day this year is a success, maybe your family would want to try again next year, maybe it becomes a cherished tradition in your family, as anticipated as any family celebration.

School Play Day?
Until very recently, I did not even know about Global School Play Day, February 4. Did you? It is a thing, and it is being activated and celebrated in some of our local schools. Increasingly, some local educators convinced that play is a multifaceted, dynamic approach to engaging students in the learning process, are reshaping their school landscapes, interiors, and practices to activate play as a practice of discovery and learning, health and wellbeing. MBGNA’s Education & Learning team has been engaging an unprecedented number of educators, from preschool and early childhood to high school, inviting collaboration, and sharing strategies of place-based and play-based learning. 

Community Play Day?
At MBGNA, we love outdoor play across the life span because it synergistically boosts the human benefits of both Nature and play. We might even consider every day a community play day at the lands we steward. Engaging play for one person may be quite different from play for another person. Whether you prefer self-directed exploration of the conservatory and display gardens, lightly guided Wonder Walks, managed natural areas for birdwatching, hiking, and meditation, or specific invitations and environments for very open-ended Nature Play in Gaffield Children's Garden, MBGNA invites you to choose outdoor play every day. Peter Gray, eminent play scholar and Evolutionary Psychologist, reminds us:  “Play is intrinsically motivated activity initiated and directed by the players themselves…play is a fundamental human drive, an expression of freedom, a source of creativity, and a vehicle of learning that enriches the lives of people of all ages.” If you are planning your own Community Play Day, please reach out, we have a new Nature-Play-on-the-Way initiative, meeting our community where it is by bringing loose parts from Gaffield Children’s Garden to shared community spaces. If you are not planning your own Community Play Day, think about joining us at ours. In honor of International Day of Play, MBGNA will again be celebrating our annual BIG PLAY DAY at Nichols Arb, Saturday, June 27, 2026. Mark it on your calendar now. 

No matter what kind of outdoor play you choose, playing is the important thing, and you might even experience a positive shift in perspective, health & wellness, always welcome, perhaps especially so in February. 

Citations

Fyfe-Johnson AL, Hazlehurst MF, Perrins SP, Bratman GN, Thomas R, Garrett KA, Hafferty KR, Cullaz TM, Marcuse EK, Tandon PS. Nature and Children's Health: A Systematic Review. Pediatrics. 2021 Oct;148(4):e2020049155. doi: 10.1542/peds.2020-049155. Epub 2021 Sep 29. PMID: 34588297.

Loose T, Fuoco J, Malboeuf-Hurtubise C, Ayotte-Beaudet JP, Gauvin L, Chadi N, Ouellet-Morin I, Mâsse B, Côté SM, Geoffroy MC. A Nature-Based Intervention and Mental Health of Schoolchildren: A Cluster Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2024 Nov 4;7(11):e2444824. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.44824. PMID: 39546315; PMCID: PMC11568460.

Yogman M, Garner A, Hutchinson J, Hirsh-Pasek K, Golinkoff RM; COMMITTEE ON PSYCHOSOCIAL ASPECTS OF CHILD AND FAMILY HEALTH; COUNCIL ON COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA. The Power of Play: A Pediatric Role in Enhancing Development in Young Children. Pediatrics. 2018 Sep;142(3):e20182058. doi: 10.1542/peds.2018-2058. Epub 2018 Aug 20. PMID: 30126932.