THE POETRY SOCIETY OF NEW YORK + PLAY:GROUNDNYC PRESENT:
POETRY PLAYGROUND
July 13, 2025
12pm - 4pm
What do poetry and play have in common? There are no rules. There is a sense of freedom—or the will to push against restrictions on freedom. Poetry and play both begin with an experiment, a spark, a curiosity. Ideas are expanded upon—or abandoned. New ideas arise.
If you’re a child playing at The Yard on Governors Island, you might dig a pit in the ground to see what’s underneath, or climb to the top of a fort to get a new perspective. If you’re a poet you might start with a single word, a line or an image. There are so many ways to play, and so many ways to write!
Please join Rebecca Faulkner, poet and former Executive Director of play:groundNYC, at Nolan Park on July 13 from 12pm - 4pm as she leads an open-ended workshop that combines aspects of “loose parts” or “risky” play—concepts we employ at The Yard, our adventure playground on Governors Island, with found poetry, blackout poetry, and postcard poetry during The New York City Poetry Festival! Make poetry with us, and connect with your inner (or actual) child through the power of play!
play:groundNYC is a nonprofit dedicated to transforming New York City through play. The organization was founded by artists, researchers, and advocates for children’s rights who wanted to create the conditions for adventure play in NYC. This type of play has tremendous benefits for young people’s lives, and their future outcomes. After a series of pop-ups in city parks, play:groundNYC was invited by The Trust for Governors Island to open The Yard, a publicly-accessible adventure playground. Since 2016, we have welcomed more than 60,000 children and young people to The Yard for free open weekends, after-school activities, field trips and summer camp.