Importance of Play
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What Matters Most Barbara Butler grew up in a small town in upstate New York, and, with seven brothers and sisters, life was uproarious.
“My parents were very big on everyday, no matter what the weather–and, in upstate New York the weather can be terrible sometimes–we’d go outside to play.
“We were in this neighborhood with lots of kids, too. So, I was really into running around outside and very fond of my trees and playing in trees. We played lots of games. We had swing sets. We didn’t really have play structures at that point, but then we’d go up to the school and play on the play structures up there.
“I think what we really had was tons of freedom. Basically, I just had to be home by dark. We ran around kind of wild. It was very fun and I realized when I went through college, my mom wanted me to be a lawyer then life started to look a little serious and I didn’t want to do that. They were a little upset with me at first; they didn’t know why I was wanting to learn construction but I like that it was outdoors and then when I stumbled on the play structures, I really loved it.”
Play as Work
Barbara Butler stumbled on play structures accidentally. “I was doing construction pretty much just to pay the bills, and I was being a fine art painter, and I was dabbling in writing and I was exploring being an artist. I had started working for my brothers in D.C.; they had a contracting business renovating brownstones.
“I learned a lot from them, and then I moved to San Francisco and started a little backyard business with a friend, and we were doing decks and fences and hot tubs, trying to do a very artistic job of it but I was definitely seeing it as separate from my art.
“Then, I had a client, turns out it was Bobby McFerren, right at the point of “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.” They hired us to do their backyard, which was classic San Francisco yard, about five stories tall and not a level spot in the yard.
“So, we were doing their decks and staircases, trying to make the yard useable. They had said they wanted an unusual play structure. I was immediately taken with the idea. I went and I played on all the play structures in town, brought my play knowledge back up to speed, and came up with this design for them that was these carved totem poles and had wicky wacky angles to it. I had a lot of fun with it.
“By the end of that, I was like, ’Okay, that’s it, that’s all I’m going to do from here on in.’ And everybody said, ‘You can’t do that!’ And I said, ‘Yes, you can!’ ”
Pulling It Together
The McFerrin Project brought together all the different interests that Barbara Butler held near and dear: love of the outdoors, art, using wood, her fond memories of her youth.
“It really did. It just pulled everything together. I couldn’t believe it. The only thing it didn’t really pull together was an income. It was really a hard way to make a living!
“So, it was sculpture. It was art. It was color. I made my own stains. It was all about play, thinking about kids running around it. It just satisfied everything and I knew that this is what I wanted to do and I had trouble getting clients at first. I mean it’s actually still a bit of a hard sell. People still want to know why they’re so expensive and why is it important to do. But, I’ve persevered at it for twenty-two years now.”
Barbara offers suggestions for where to begin in your own backyard if you’re thinking about a treehouse or a play structure.
“I think the thing to do is start with looking at your yard. Is there a place that’s not used at the moment? Is there some place where nothing will grow under the trees? Is there an odd little corner? You can make something to fit to a funny little spot that you weren’t sure what to do with.
“Kids tend to be really delighted by that. They like something a little mysterious. So, I always recommend, don’t put it too close to the house. When they’re two, you might think you want that but by the time they’re four or five, you want it a little bit away from the house so the kids have a little distance and they can be really loud. You want them to be having some place of their own and you want them to have some wild fun. So, I think picking the site is a pretty important first step.
“And then, you decide: could it be a treehouse? It’s always better if it’s a treehouse.
“So, that might be a little technically difficult for some people but I always encourage people to, if they can’t hire me then they could hire a local contractor and you can call us to buy parts or to buy plans or even just to help with the design. I think there’s a lot of options there. A contractor could come in and give an idea about what they could build for that area.
“Thinking about what to add for it, you shouldn’t underestimate slides and swings. Kids just love those.
“Also, they want something up high to peer out to the world, a little bit of a lookout. If they have a fast way down, which is a slide, and then some swinging, then some climbing back up. You’ve really captured it all if you get that in.
Butler usually incorporates grips on a climbing wall. “Kids are wild for those and you can put them all over. You can do it as a wall that they can just go up and back down or you can have it go up and into the window. You can have them go round and round on them. They’re really fun to add. And, I get those from a professional rock hold company and we have them add an extra screw hold so they can stand-up outdoors. They’re fantastic to use.”
Importance of Play
Picasso said that it took him fifty years to unlearn what he learned, and Barbara agrees. “I just have so many great memories of my childhood playing constantly. I just want to keep making that happen for kids over and over.
“The importance of play is really easy to get swept under the carpet. People are very concerned with academic achievement. And, I think in this economy, people are worried a little about frivolous stuff. But, I actually think play for kids is incredibly important.
“We have to make these places outside. We’ve restricted kids lives quite a bit in terms of they’re supervised, they’re scheduled, they’ve got to take interviews to get into kindergarten. They’ve got stresses that we didn’t have as kids. I think having a play space in the yard that’s not the same as the house is really important for kids well being. They have someplace to go outside. They can get dirty. They can run around. They can make mistakes. They can climb up the rock wall and maybe they don’t make it the first time, and if they fall, they’ve got bark chips for them to fall on.
“You’re setting up a place for kids to try things out and try out who they’re going to be as an adult. You’re going to be encouraging creative play, combining that with physical activity. It’s just a fantastic activity. I hate the thought of people forgetting about it.
“I’m all for play and obviously I love building the playhouses and treehouses, and I encourage people to get the kids designing it with you and enjoy the whole process.
“The childhood will go so fast. I just have so many great memories of my childhood playing constantly and I just want to keep making that for kids over and over.”
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