In this heartfelt episode of the Landmark Difference Makers Podcast, we sit down with Reza Marvasti, founder of The Power of Play, an organization dedicated to bringing sustainable playgrounds to children living in refugee camps, orphanages, and underserved communities around the world.
What began as a deeply personal journey after a life-changing accident has grown into a global movement that is restoring something many children have lost: the simple opportunity to play.
A Near-Death Experience That Changed Everything
Reza grew up in Iran during the Iran-Iraq War, where childhood was shaped by bomb shelters, fear, and uncertainty. Yet even in the darkness of war, one thing remained constant.
The children played.
Years later, after immigrating to Canada and building a successful construction business, Reza became an extreme sports athlete. In 2016, a devastating speed-flying accident left him with a broken neck, multiple fractures, and a profound question about why he had survived. Days later, a close friend died in a similar accident—just one week before the birth of his daughter.
Searching for purpose, Reza sold his business, his home, and nearly everything he owned. He traveled first to the Amazon rainforest and then to Bolivia, where he spent time living alongside children surviving on the streets.
What struck him most wasn’t simply their poverty.
It was that they no longer seemed like children.
“I didn’t see kids in those kids. They were just little adults trying to survive.”
That realization became the beginning of The Power of Play.
Why Play Matters
Reza explains that play is far more than entertainment.
It is how children:
- Develop creativity and imagination
- Learn empathy and cooperation
- Build emotional resilience
- Form healthy relationships
- Discover who they are
He points to research showing that free play is essential for healthy cognitive development and notes that the decline of play has paralleled rising rates of anxiety, depression, and loneliness among young people.
As the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child recognizes, play is a fundamental right of every child.
Yet millions of children are growing up without it.
Building More Than Playgrounds
Today, The Power of Play has built playgrounds in communities across North America, South America, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.
But Reza is quick to point out that they aren’t simply building swings and slides.
They’re creating places where children can simply be children again.
Every project begins by asking local children one question:
“How do you like to play?”
The children design their own playgrounds, and the structures are built using locally sourced and recycled materials—from old tires and car parts to reclaimed timber.
Each playground becomes a reflection of the community that helped create it.
The Healing Power of Joy
One story from northern Uganda has stayed with Reza ever since.
After completing his first playground in a refugee camp filled with children who had fled civil war, a teacher pointed to one young boy who had witnessed the murder of his parents and had not spoken for two years.
On the very first day the playground opened…
The boy began talking again.
Moments like these remind Reza that play is not a luxury.
It can be part of healing.
Changing Entire Communities
The impact extends far beyond children.
Parents tell Reza they no longer worry about where their children are because they know they’ll be at the playground. Communities begin gathering together. Music, dancing, friendships, and celebrations emerge around spaces that previously didn’t exist.
One playground in Rwanda, built for families affected by genocide, has become the community’s gathering place years after its completion—a place where children play while adults rehearse music, celebrate together, and rebuild community.
Learning From Children
Some of Reza’s most profound lessons have come from the children themselves.
He recalls giving a chocolate bar to a young boy in Uganda who had likely never tasted chocolate before.
Instead of eating it himself, the child ran to share it with the other children.
Moments like that continually remind Reza of the generosity, resilience, and humanity children naturally possess—even after unimaginable hardship.
Landmark and Expanding the Vision
Reza credits Landmark’s programs with helping shape both the original vision and the growth of The Power of Play.
His project in the Self-Expression and Leadership Program planted the seed for creating opportunities for children through outdoor experiences. Later, Landmark’s leadership programs helped him build an international organization with volunteers, university partnerships, and projects in 18 countries.
A Playful Planet
When asked how he hopes to be remembered, Reza offers a remarkable answer.
He isn’t concerned with his own legacy.
Instead, he hopes that long after he’s gone, The Power of Play continues connecting people around the world and giving children the opportunity to experience joy, creativity, friendship, and hope.
As he says:
“A playful planet… where kids get to grow into the fullest version of themselves and make our world a better place.”
✨ Listen to the full episode to hear Reza Marvasti share his extraordinary journey and discover how something as simple as play can transform children, families, and entire communities.
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