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2. DESCRIBE WHAT GOES ON AT AN ADULT "PLAY DAY" EVENT. After we had our first Play Day in 2009, I started to get this request: "We want an adult Play Day." People also

wanted some adult things, particularly beverages. "I SAW A 95-YEAR-OLD WOMAN PLAYING BOARD GAMES WITH A FOUR-YEAR-OLD, AND THEY WERE HAVING THIS WONDERFUL CONVERSATION. SOME OF THESE

OPPORTUNITIES ARE VERY UNLIKELY TO HAPPEN IF YOU DON'T GET OUT IN THE COMMUNITY AND PLAY TOGETHER."   — Pat Rumbaugh We bring a lot of what we already have — such as cornhole,

Twister, hula hoops. We also set up mini tennis, bocce, horseshoes, badminton, a giant chess set, a giant Connect Four. We try to have a band, too. The first year the lead singer dressed up

as Elvis. People loved that. Even though the name is Adult Play Day, we don't insist it's _only_ for people 21 and older. Say parents have a two-year-old and the sitter falls

through, so they want to bring their child, that's fine. We hold the event at a VFW hall. We get two or three food trucks to come, which works out great and is a lot less work.

'Super seniors' come from apartment buildings where seniors live. Many people in their 50s, 60s, 70s, even 80s who are still in their homes join us. 3. IN OUR SOCIETY, WHEN DO YOU

THINK PEOPLE STOP PLAYING AND WHY? Last spring, I got to go to the Aspen Institute Project Play Summit. I found out that 70 percent of 13-year-olds stop playing on a team. That's a

horrible statistic. That's why they're holding Project Play, because they're trying to find ways to get teens to continue playing. That's competitive play. But as a

physical education teacher for over 30 years, I saw the decline from middle school to high school, particularly for kids who are serious about their academics. Then in college, you start to

see more of a drop-off. I think when people become busier as adults — with full-time jobs, and maybe they're getting their advanced degrees at the same time — their time gets limited.

And then a mixture of things happen. Children bring out our playful side, just like puppies and kitty cats, but at the same time a lot of people play less because they almost think,

"That's for kids. I should set it aside." On the other hand, some people pick up things. They realize, you know, it shouldn't be all about work and no play. When I

encourage adults to play, there are often giggles and, "Oh, come on, Pat." Some are adventurous, whereas others say, "Oh, that's for children" or "I don't

know, that might be too loud." I tell them the board-game room might not be too loud, and tai chi is probably mainly adults. With hula hoops, women especially often say, "I used to

be so good at that, but I can't do it anymore. My six-year-old daughter can do it." But I have them try the larger, heavier hula hoops, and within 20 seconds they're hula

hooping, and they're thrilled. Older people need play just as much as anyone. As we age we lose our strength, flexibility, and sometimes we have senior moments, but when we laugh and

play we feel great. Seniors deserve to feel good, just like any other age group. Seniors who don't play are missing out on being carefree, playing games either alone or with others.

Whether people play a board game or do something physical, both bring joy. Playing takes you away from your troubles. You let everything go for a while and enjoy the moment. It would be

great if we all gave ourselves time to play every day. I know how much better it makes me feel, how much better I am to be around. If you've been around someone who's stressed —

all they've done is work, work, work. They're tired, they haven't played, they haven't been physically active, they're a grouch. Pat Rumbaugh and a helper engage in

hand-to-hand tug-of-war combat. Photo courtesy Pat Rumbaugh 4. WHAT'S YOUR ADVICE FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT MORE PLAY? First, gather people who really care about play, who want to form a play

committee. It can be as small as two or three people, or it can be 20. Ask yourselves what you want to play, what you'd like to see played more or brought into the community, and look

at your facilities. For example, we have an indoor pool in my community. It's a public facility, but people still have to pay to use it. So we've gotten small grants for two

Splash-and-Play pool parties. Say you have a playground with a pavilion next to your community center with an indoor gym or big all-purpose room. That would be ideal. Think wedding: You

don't want to plan something for outdoors and if it rains, you won't have a backup plan. After our first Play Day, the head of the recreation department congratulated us and said,

"Pat, you've got to go to a bigger venue. How about the middle school next year? Don't worry, I'm going to put it in the budget." I think it might be $1,000 to rent

for a couple of hours and pay a custodian. In some cities and communities, that won't be a problem. For others, it might be a financial burden, and they might have to raise money. To

get older adults involved, ask yourself, "Where are these seniors?" For example, I start right where I live when I'm out walking. I've knocked on seniors' doors,

people I know, to be sure I invite them. Go to churches and places of worship. We have a flier made for every Play Day. We put as many as four languages on it. In September we hold our Play

Day on Saturday, but the Adventists meet on Saturdays, so none of them come. In the winter, we hold our winter Play Day on Sunday, and some people don't come because _they're_ at

worship. 5. WHAT NONPROFIT GROUPS, GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, LOCAL LEADERS AND OTHERS SHOULD BE INVOLVED? If you have a recreation department, that makes a lot of sense. But I wouldn't put

it all on them. I would try to bring in some of your city government. I would reach out to volunteers immediately. You need people to take notes and write up the minutes. You need someone

who doesn't mind doing some advertising, reaching out to people. And you need people who have an interest in forming a play club or play committee. Everybody brings something to the

table. GAMES PEOPLE PLAY Pickleball, cornhole, disc golf, drumming and petanque are helping young and old stay physically active, have fun and connect with one another. Read We've had

so many instructors offer their activities, martial arts or aerobics or whatever. Probably the biggest one that stands out is a couple who agreed to offer laughing yoga. In 2009, our state

senator offered to lead a game of "Simon Says." We thought that would be a great way to end the day. The woman running for mayor in 2015 offered to run "Red Light, Green

Light." She's our mayor now. Over the years I've gone to the city council to ask for more funding. I've also personally invited the council people to Play Days. I invite

them to participate, which a lot do. Everybody's welcome. If you strive to reach out to everybody, you're going to make it inclusive. _Ellen Ryan is a Maryland-based freelance

writer and editor. She has written for AARP the Magazine and for The Washingtonian, where she served as the monthly magazine's managing editor._ _Published May 2016_ YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

See Pat Rumbaugh's TEDx talks about play: Listen to the TED Radio Hour podcast from NPR: More from AARP.org/Livable  Use the dropdown to choose a livability topic. Select a Subject