Project Play in the News
It’s About Neighborhoods
Edgebrook Resident Brings Back
Classic Backyard Games
By Nicole DiVito
The Sounds Newspaper / May 23, 2009
When Marlene Byrne was growing up in her small Wisconsin hometown, her free time was spent getting together with other neighborhood kids for games of “kick the can,” pickup baseball or “ghosts in the graveyard.” They would play together for hours at a time, and it was only after the street lamps turned on that they would grudgingly leave their games behind and call it a night.
Today, Byrne is a married mother of two, successful advertising agency owner, and active member of her Edgebrook Chicago community. But if you asked her what contributed to her success outside of education, she would say it was the loving, playful, and carefree environment she grew up in—an environment she believes gave her the creativity, leadership, and organizational skills she uses today.
“Those images of summer evenings or Sunday afternoons are memories I cherish,” says Byrne. “I think we learned how to negotiate rules and think creatively playing those games. I try not to let scheduled activities, electronic games, and organized sports take over my children’s lives. They need some time to just play.”
Byrne is on a mission to inspire children and families to spend time playing instead of always sitting in front of the television or racing from one activity to the next. This way, children can interact with friends and develop skills like creativity and negotiation that playing with their peers creates.
In September of 2008, Byrne launched Project Play, a movement that uses books and stories to motivate children to play games that foster the imagination and spark creativity. The first three books in the Project Play series—Treasure Hunt, Follow the Leader, and Just a Baseball Game—made their debut in November and feature charming rhyming text and vivid illustrations. The books tell the adventurous tales of Sam and his friends as they engage the Edgebrook neighborhood in nostalgic backyard games.
It is Byrne’s hope the books inspire families and neighborhoods to bring back these classic backyard games. She is driven by her belief that it is as equally important to be creative as it is to be smart.
“The world will always be desperate for innovative ideas, thoughtful problem solving skills, and courageous leadership,” she says. “Unlike organized sports or electronic games, backyard play allows children to develop these skills, which can then be transferred to almost any future endeavor.”
It’s certainly a noble mission—and one that has not gone unrecognized by the media. BusinessWeek, Chicago Parent magazine, South Florida Parenting Magazine, Time Out Chicago, and the Midwest Book Review have all praised Project Play, depicting the stories as great tools towards changing the way children today are using their spare time.
This year, Byrne will be releasing two more books in the Project Play series—Kick the Can and Ghosts in the Graveyard.
