Lady Allen Trust: Patroness of Play Theory

The Promoter of Child Welfare

 

Her Excellency, Lady Marjory Allen of Hurtwood U.K. was an infamous advocate for children. She embodied forward-thinking about the theory of child’s play while bringing about change in society’s stance on the welfare of children.

Who is Lady Allen?

 

Marjory Allen grew up in the country on a small farm in Kent, U.K. with her parents and four brothers. The water company employed her father while her mother was a homemaker.

 

Marjory’s childhood was memorable and full of play. She roamed the countryside around the farm, and she lovingly recalls the freedom she had to explore and play.

 

Her father and mother were founding members of a camping group as a result from her family camping every summer on the coast. She can recall the stormy nights spent in the tent while lightning and thunder surrounded them. To divert their minds from the storm, she invented a game called “Boules.” This game involved scouring the shore for round pebbles and chunks of beautiful rocks and such. This simple game was the first of many that she created that later became part of her theory on play.

 

During her time on the farm, Marjory came down ill and was bedridden. Her brothers made a contraption of mirrors to allow her to see the garden. This gave her a window to the world while stuck in bed. Not only did her brothers care about her, but their creative ideas for play contributed to Marjory’s theory towards playtime.

She and her brothers played in the nearby ponds and fields building dens and huts and pretending to be fun and interesting characters. Their imagination was limitless in creating an alternate world within the land that surrounded their farm.

 

Farm chores were more fun and play than boring for her and her siblings. The children learned the craft of growing beautiful flowers and vegetables while making butter and cheese from the milk they got from their cows. The smells and sights of the farm and country are pressed upon her memory which she treasured immensely.

 

What is Lady Allen Trust?

 

It was later in her adulthood that she took her life experiences, pleasures and memories from her childhood and focused on developing a fundamental theory of play for children worldwide.

 

Her platform served as the foundation in establishing the mystery and enchantment that served as the basis of playtime for children. This platform became known as “The Lady Allen Trust.” A truly valuable perspective that has been adopted by parents, groups, and countries worldwide regarding playtime for children.

Read About Marjory Lady Allen of Hurtwood