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Who wants to go first? Rachel, maybe you can tell us what prompted you to start showing up to run a community play club? Rachel: My goal was to take the “playborhood” to the next level [laughs]. I saw what my neighborhood has, I learned about play clubs and thought: I can do that. Katie: To find community, you need to be in it — but you made your own, Rachel [laughs]. Rachel: Well, I think we all experienced that incredibly lonely COVID experience, and I came out of that craving community in an especially hard way. My daughter had had massive brain surgery, and I really needed that sense of moms helping other moms after being cut off. I needed community. I show up because I know there are other families who are profoundly lonely still. Katie: And you’ve figured out how to reach them in ways that are fun, flexible, and affordable. With [Scituate] Rec and Wampatuck Kids’ Club, I mean. Rachel: Yes, for the Rec program we wanted to reach working parents and make play less expensive than a babysitter. Katie: And just break the silos. Like our work with the [Appleton Field] Community Garden — you build community by participating in it. We have a fast-living culture, but we can slow down and be intentional about where we show up and what we grow. Rachel: Your strength, Katie, is really about connecting all the existing groups and finding what is already working. Seeing gaps and trying to fill them is showing up too. Katie: Out of COVID, we needed our kids to feel the love and support of community, and we needed it too. Play is one of those things that is already working. It benefits the parents when the kids come home happier. Rachel: I see over-scheduling and burnout a lot. Instead of rushing the kids off the playground to the next thing sometimes fewer transitions can be best for everybody. So… Katie: …enjoy where you are? Rachel: Yes. If you’re in community, keep showing up. If you’re not yet, come play!
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