From Next City By Mia Jackson Philadelphia resident and Temple University professor Kathy Hirsh-Pasek was walking through the streets of her hometown and asked herself: Why does a sidewalk have to be a sidewalk? And a bench, a bench? In short, she thought: “What if we...

Playful Learning Illinois has unveiled two new playful learning installations in the greater Chicago area, and there are more to come! Located in a local laundromat, the first project in Little Village, Chicago, connects early math skills to what children and families...

A team of students from Haverford College spent their summer in a “Design + Make” fellowship, working with PLLAN to design potential installations for Playful Learning Landscapes. Imagined by Kent Watson, this fellowship was designed to put tools in the hands of...

from Youth Today by Stell Simonton This summer, select cities across the country will block traffic to “play streets,” creating child-friendly zones in urban neighborhoods that lack parks and other public amenities. In some cities, play streets are one-time events....

from WHYY by Emily Rizzo Four Philadelphia teenagers were expecting an ordinary first day of work on Monday morning. Instead, they were met with a red carpet and community members cheering their names. The four teens, Jah’sier Brickett, Semaj Mcfadden, Makalah...

from PLLAN   Playful Learning Landscapes Action Network (PLLAN) fosters the creation of playful learning infrastructure and activities in everyday spaces where children and families gather. PLLAN works with communities, designers, and researchers to transform...

from PBS SoCal by Hanh Truong Messages of gratitude and excitement from parents filled a Zoom chat on May 19, 2021, as organizers concluded the seventh workshop for the research project Stimulating STEM in the City: Co-Designing with Latinx Families to Promote...

from The Hechinger Report by Jackie Mader What if one of the answers to reducing inequality and addressing mental health concerns among young children is as simple as providing more opportunities to play? A growing body of research and several experts are making the...

from Bloomberg CityLab by Alexandra Lange On July 5, 1976, Philadelphia capped off the nation’s bicentennial celebrations not with flags and fireworks — all those grand displays were held on the 4th — but with play. Frisbee Golf on Winter Street. Paper airplanes at...

from PLLAN PLLAN has a new head of its leadership team! We are pleased to welcome Sarah Lytle, PhD. Sarah comes to PLLAN after a decade at the University of Washington’s Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, where she was most recently the Director of Outreach...