.:A Desert Lifestyle Article:.
Kids' Play & Fun Time
[story by Katie Elwell]
When daddy deploys, kids temporarily lose a valuable role model and much needed male interaction. Marine spouse Laura Simmons’ goal is to fill this void through Kids’ Play and Fun Time, better known as Kids’ PFT.
“This program matches Marines and sailors with the children of deployed service members to provide positive role models, establish community ties and promote physical activity through free play,” said Simmons, who created and runs the program.
Each Kids’ PFT event is a time of free play, where the children are in charge. They can choose from various sports, games or crafts. A snack station keeps both the Marines and the kids fueled up for fun. A baby room provides a special space where Marines, babies and toddlers spend their hours playing with a parachute, beach balls and other age appropriate toys. In the past, PMO has conducted a working dog demonstration and the fire department has given tours of their fire engines. At one Kids’ PFT event, a daughter of a 2/7 Marine set up an Operation Lemonade stand to raise funds to benefit pediatric cancer. Within half an hour the lemonade was sold out and the girl had raised $90. Children have also been known to stir up their favorite cookie recipes to share with their new Marine buddies. The most popular Kids’ PFT activity by far has been face painting, where it’s often the Marines who provide the faces and the kids who provide the artistic talent.
Simmons first came up with the idea for Kids’ PFT while her husband was TAD at Camp Pendleton for five months, then deployed for another 13 months. “My twin sons, Alden and William, started following around every man they saw,” Simmons said. “They seemed to crave attention from men, which they rarely received.” She thought back to a time she had seen a young Marine walking back alone to the barracks after a Christmas Eve chapel service. Simmons realized that single Marines could easily succumb to boredom and loneliness, while at the same time she knew that children craved their attention. “It seemed as if the children whose parents are deployed and the young Marines on the base might be good for each other,” she said. She proposed the idea to Lt. Emile Moured, chaplain of the Protestant Chapel, who jumped on it. Together, they gathered children, Marines and volunteers from around the base and began an exciting program that would quickly reach hundreds.
“Children and young Marines have a lot in common, namely a surplus of energy,” Simmons said. “Putting them together to run and play seemed like a way to benefit all parties, including the tired mothers who get to sit, rest and watch.”
Since its inception in February 2008, Kids’ PFT has provided male role models and hours of free play to over 250 children from 11 battalions. Over 300 volunteers, including Marines and sailors from MCCES, CLB-7, Band, VMU-1, 1/7 and Jag have volunteered their time and energy to help kids get that much needed attention. While Simmons hopes for a day when deployments will no longer be necessary, she plans to continue making deployments more bearable for spouses and children. At the same time, she’ll be providing an outlet for Marines to support their brothers in arms and their families through some serious fun and play.
Keep Up with Kids’ PFT
Phone: 830.6464
E-mail: kidspft29palms@live.com
Blog: www.kidspft29palms.blogspot.com
For a schedule of upcoming kids play & fun time activities visit
www.kidspft29palms.blogspot.com
