Play Day

I’m so excited that the Takoma Park Play Day 2012 is coming up soon! I look forward to it every year.

Instead of performances strung together, the festival is interactive. The Play Day festival brings together the people of our community, both young and old, to enjoy each other’s company while playing board games, engaging in imaginative role-playing, or running around in intense games of freeze tag. I love watching attendees play newly-learned strategy games, successfully navigate through an obstacle course, or finish a round of “Simon Says” with local senator Jamie Raskin.

One of my favorite things about Play Day is that children, teenagers, adults, and elderly members of the community all come to celebrate together and get to know each other. I remember playing chess with a retiree at a Play Day in 2009 when I was ten years old. Although I was a new chess player, the experienced woman with whom I played seemed very excited to share her knowledge and skill with a beginner. Her love of chess inspired me to learn more. I’ve continued enjoy playing the game ever since.

This year, Play Day takes place on September 22, from 10-1 at the Takoma Park Middle School. You can find out more about this amazing day at http://takomaplays.org/.