The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast 1KHO 689: Play Is Disappearing So Here’s How to Bring It Back| Pat Rumbaugh, The Play Lady
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Jan 24, 2026 Pat Rumbaugh, a PE teacher turned play advocate and founder of Let’s Play America, promotes child-led, multi-age outdoor play. She discusses the decline of free play and why unstructured, neighborhood play matters. Practical ideas include hosting Play Days, StoryWalks, play stations at community events, and even closing streets so kids can safely take over the space.
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Benefits Of Multi-Age Play
- Multi-age play builds empathy and vocabulary because older children teach and younger children learn naturally.
- Mixing ages recreates neighborhood dynamics that strengthen social skills across generations.
Use StoryWalks To Link Books And Play
- Use StoryWalks and include your book pages along a route to combine literacy with physical activity.
- Host StoryWalks at Play Days to extend reach and make books like Let's Play Outside come alive in community settings.
Start Local, Then Grow Play Projects
- Start locally: put play on your family's front burner, ask everyone what they'd like, then invite neighbors and city officials.
- Plan logistics (bathrooms, weather backup, permissions) and form a play committee to scale events safely.
