Play it Forward: A Movement for Meaningful Play

What if play wasn’t just something we did, but something we shared?

What if the laughter, learning, and human connection sparked in one playful moment didn’t end when the game did, but rippled outward into classrooms, boardrooms and communities?

That’s the vision behind Play it Forward - a growing movement to make meaningful play more accessible, more intentional and more impactful for people everywhere.

The Problem: Not Everyone Gets to Play

Let’s be honest, play isn’t evenly distributed.

Facilitation training, professional development retreats, and team-building experiences often come with a price tag or travel commitment that makes them out of reach for many of the people who need them most: early-career professionals, educators, nonprofit staff, mental health workers and leaders in underserved communities.

These are the people already doing the heart work. But they are often left out of the play space.

Without access to high-quality facilitation training, they miss the chance to learn how play can fuel connection, reduce burnout, and build trust where it’s needed most.

The Vision: A World Where Everyone Plays it Forward

Play it Forward isn’t just a scholarship fund or a mentorship program, it’s a mindset. A way of showing up with generosity, curiosity and care. It’s a belief that the tools and training for psychological safety and group development shouldn’t be reserved only for the few.  They should be shared widely.

This movement dares to imagine:

• Every school staff meeting opening with a moment of playful connection.

• Nonprofit teams rediscovering joy and collaboration through facilitated play.

• Developing managers and leaders having a chance to practice critical interpersonal skills.   

• Young professionals bringing game-based tools into their leadership style.

• A mentorship pipeline where experienced facilitators guide the next wave forward.

Barometer XP’s Role: Turning Play into a Movement

At Barometer XP, we believe in the power of play to build trust, shift culture and spark insight. And we also believe that the skills to facilitate those moments should be accessible to all.

That’s why Play it Forward is deeply connected to our Play Facilitation Certification. Through this initiative, we’re unlocking access to transformational training for people who have the passion and purpose (but maybe not always the resources) to bring play to their teams.

We’re creating a movement built on three pillars:

1. Access

   • Through scholarship-supported access to Barometer XP’s Play Facilitation Certification, we’re unlocking training for professionals with passion, purpose, and limited resources.

2. Mentorship

   • Seasoned facilitators play it forward by coaching new practitioners, offering real-time feedback, and modeling the magic of facilitation done well.

3. Community

   • We’re building a network of playful professionals who share tools, debrief together and challenge each other to make play more inclusive, more trauma-informed and more culturally responsive.

     
     

This Isn't Charity, it’s an Investment

Play it Forward prioritizes potential over pity.

It’s about recognizing that someone out there is one opportunity away from transforming the way their organization learns, leads, and heals.

And your contribution, whether it’s financial, relational, or inspirational, can be the thing that unlocks that transformation.

How to Get Involved

🔄 Give Back Sponsor a cohort within your organization, or refer us to a team or an individual you know that may benefit from some extra support with leadership and culture development.  

🎓 Grow the Practice Become a mentor. Share your lessons learned. Help new facilitators develop their confidence and craft.

📣 Spread the Word Talk about the power of play in your industry. Invite colleagues to experience it. Host a Play it Forward event.

🧠 Change the Culture Start modeling play in your workplace with intention. Bring it into meetings, coaching conversations and your personal leadership approach.

Why Now?

Because the world needs more play. Not childishness, but child-likeness with a return to curiosity and connection.

Because people are lonely. Teams are exhausted and leaders are unsure.

And because you remember what it felt like when someone said, “I see something in you. Let me help you grow.”

Now it’s your turn to Play it Forward.

Let’s build a world where facilitation is a force for equity.

Where someone’s first playful experience is the start of a lifelong ripple.

Let’s make play something that moves forward!

You can email us at info@barometerxp.com to learn more about ways to Play it Forward.