She practices what she preaches. Four-time Olympian Silken Laumann gets right in there -- and plays around.

She's bringing her message to these grade six students at Sir James Douglas Elementary in Vancouver. She's written a book called "Child's Play" and says it's her dream for more Canadian kids to be involved in play-time. But, it's happening way too slow.

"Let's recognize we've got a challenge. We've got a problem. But the solution is right in front of us."

While she has nothing against organized sports -- Laumann says some kids are just too confined.

Laumann, "if we start our kids in structured sport too early and that sport isn't right for them, they're going to drop out in those crucial years of 11 or 12 years old when they have more of a choice and those are the years - I think - when we really want our kids in a sport with a positive to go with positive role models."

But, sometimes it's hard to find a balance -- according to one parent.

Mother Vivian Haver says, "it's not just the structured sport. It is important for kids to be playing and having fun. That is, we've found, a much harder thing to do in today's society because we're all very guarded of our kids and not letting them go alone. But, we have found that the two have worked together very well, our kids both play baseball and through that have found a new community."

And -- that community can do more to make it happen. Laumann says like opening the neighbourhood school one night a week... just to play games and have a blast doing it.

Laumann, "I believe that we care deeply about our kids. We have to start to recognize the importance of playtime, the importance of being physically active. We're creative and we're going to find solutions.

For more information on Silken Laumann's book or just ideas to get your kids more involved in play, visit www.silkensactivekids.ca

Thursday May 11, 2006