By Lynette Cox
Claude Stephens Receives The Doctor of Play Award from the International Play Association, USA Chapter
The International Play Association, USA Affiliate (IPA USA) recently honored Claude Stephens with The Doctor of Play Award. The award was presented at the 2025 IPA USA “A Child’s Right to Play” Conference in October 2025. Stephens serves as Director of Bernheim’s Children at Play Network (CAPN).
The Doctor of Play Award recognizes individuals who have dedicated their professional life to advocating for play. Recipients of the award have demonstrated a lifelong passion, advocacy, service, and commitment to advancing play in children’s lives.
“Claude is a visionary, seeing beyond what is present and always looking for ways visitors deeply connect to nature,” explained Rebecca Brady, COO at Bernheim Forest and Arboretum. “His commitment to connecting and fostering a harmonious relationship to our natural world through play and joy for the youngest humans to the oldest is evident in everything he does. We are proud of Claude’s deserved honor and recognition!”
Stephens helped launch the Children at Play Initiative at Bernheim Forest and Arboretum in 2012. In 2017 the name was altered slightly to reflect the programs expanding reach. The Children at Play Network aims to provide children with healthy opportunities to explore the natural world. Today, CAPN provides training for play facilitators, design consulting for nature-based playgrounds, and hosts free play days at Bernheim and at events across the region. Since its founding, CAPN has provided playground design services for 13 parks, schools, and organizations across the country, including Shaker Village in Pleasant Hill, Ky., and Stonehurst Elementary School in Oakland, Calif. CAPN has also provided play consulting services to dozens of other organizations, advising on free play theory and teacher training programs.
One of CAPN’s most notable playground designs is Playcosystem, a 17-acre nature playground located across from the Visitor Center at Bernheim Forest. Opened in May 2021, the playground is designed in harmony with nature to provide children with open-ended, physically challenging, and unstructured play opportunities that support healthy development.
Recent additions to Playcosystem under Stephens’ guidance include a wheelchair accessible treehouse and a Trading Post where children can borrow items to enhance their play. Thousands of children explore Playcosystem every year.
During the nomination process Katy Delahanty, Executive Director of the Portland Museum in Louisville, Ky., wrote, “Through his work, Claude has helped children and adults understand that play is not just recreation, but a fundamental right tied to our sense of freedom, control and imagination. He has shown us that play is essential for healthy child development, but also for shaping a worldview where we reclaim power over our bodies, our choices, and our communities.”
Dr. Mark K. Wourms, president and CEO at Bernheim continued, “He pulls everyone into the understanding that play is critical to healthy children. He often states “Play is a child’s job!”
“The combination of Claude’s passion for play, knowledge, and tireless pursuit of equitable access to quality play environments has had a ripple effect through the community,” explained Jenny Gardner, Play Environments Manager at the Children at Play Network.
