BARRY WILLIAMS/Special

Mark Castelo, owner of Play 2 Grow in Atlanta, leads the cognitive period of a Climbers Class. “Play is a natural way for children to explore their world,” he said.

Did you know that crawling is related to reading in child development? Apparently, visual tracking of the hands that babies do when they crawl prepares them for reading later.

"Research has shown that children with reading disabilities often skipped the crawling stage of their development," said Mark Castelo, MPT, CIMI.

"One should never underestimate the power of play."

Castelo knows plenty about crawling, hopping and climbing, having extensively researched child development and play before opening his Atlanta developmental play center, Play 2 Grow. Castelo went into the physical therapy field thinking he would practice sports medicine but instead started working with children in the Atlanta school system and in his own pediatric private
practice.

"Play was always my intervention with disabled children. It was very rewarding to get kids walking again," Castelo said.

Play became the idea for a new business when he and his young daughter visited a children's gym. He began thinking about a different kind of play center that wouldn't just concentrate on the fitness of young children but also on their whole physical, cognitive and social development.

"I wanted to create an environment that would promote family fun, as well as the positive outcomes everyone wants for their children," Castelo said. "The idea is that children should be able to develop and learn without even realizing it. Play is a natural way for children to explore their world, learn about themselves, build social skills and be ready for school."

Children need play, but physical education and recess are fast losing emphasis in school systems that are focused on improving standardized test scores in math and reading.

The curriculum for each class at Play 2 Grow is based on pediatric health care research,but the fun part came from Castelo's imagination, including a character named Max, a star (literally) who encourages youngsters to "maximize" their own star
potential. Parents of cruisers (12-20 months), climbers (21 to 30 months), flyers (2.5 to 3.5 years) and stars (3.5 to 4.5 years) participate in age-appropriate "smart play" experiences of 50 minutes each. Superstars (4.5 to 6 years) attend without their parents.

Many products aimed at children (such as videos and bouncy seats) actually reduce a baby's mobility and connection to his arents and the real world. Passive entertainment isn't the kind of activity that spurs growth and learning, Castelo said.

At Play 2 Grow, children enter a high-energy, highactivity gym/class environment that includes music, color and sparkling wall lights. There is a warmup; a time to practice motor skills; a time to slide, throw balls and bounce on small trampolines during unstructured, social play time; and time for structured "Max-ploration" activities that stimulate conceptual thinking and learning.

"In the baby-spa room, the high-energy, entertainment factor goes away and is replaced by a quiet focus on bonding," Castelo said. There, parents and infants 2 months and older have an uninterrupted hour of infant massage, developmental play, baby signing and sensory stimulations.

With lullabies softly playing and lights twinkling overhead, Paula Prowell, a certified infant massage instructor, shows parents how to stroke their children's arms, legs, tummies and feet for relaxation and stimulation.

"Infant massage isn't mainstream in this country, but other cultures and countries have embraced it," Castelo said. "Research has shown that it improves developing sensory systems, lowers stress hormones, stimulates food absorption and improves immune system functioning. I know it works because our youngest daughter had colic, and the tummy strokes really helped."

Babies enjoy it, and parents say it's relaxing for them to have totally uninterrupted time with their children.

"I started bringing Bridgette (5 months) because she goes to day care two days a week, and I wanted her to have more natural interaction with other babies and their moms," Laura Scarborough said.

She also wanted to learn the massage techniques to use at home.

"I bring her on Saturdays, and my husband brings her on Fridays," Scarborough said. "She sleeps really well afterward because she's done a lot of activity and she's relaxed."

"Children learn independence by being dependent and trusting their caregiver," Castelo said. "The love, bonding and play experiences result in long-term physical and mental wellness."

After spending two years story-boarding a video, branding the company, building out the space, finding investors and writing the curricula for the classes, Castelo opened the center on Collier Road in January.

"Working with healthy, active kids is exciting and sometimes terrifying, but I love doing the classes," he said. "It's hard work, but it doesn't feel like work."

Could it be that it feels like play?