The Latest from Playful Learning Landscapes Action Network
Here’s what we’ve been up to recently…
International Arts + Mind Lab: COVID-19 NeuroArts Field Guide
from International Arts + Mind Lab Even before the pandemic, many of us engaged in art making or art appreciation to help us feel happier and healthier. Some of us draw, sing, dance or write. Others listen to our favorite music or story to feel a sense of calm. In...
Wilmington News Journal: Kids home? Tell them, as your mother used to say, “Go outside and play!”
from Wilmington News Journal by Roberta Michnick Golinkoff What do sidewalk chalk, jumping rope, and playing catch or frisbee all have in common? They are ways to keep our children occupied, happy, and active. And more importantly they are all things that we do...
Brookings: A parent’s guide to surviving COVID-19: 8 strategies to keep children healthy and happy
from Brookings by Kathy Hirsh-Pasek and Roberta Michnick Golinkoff For many of us, COVID-19 has completely changed how we work. Remote work might have its advantages for some, but when the kids are out of school and libraries and museums are closed, juggling two roles...
WPVI: Rec center reopening has impact on North Philadelphia community
from WPVI by Beccah Hendrickson On 15th and York Streets in North Philadelphia, the community is rediscovering Winchester Park. The rec center had been vacant for the past five years, after being unstaffed under the previous city administration. The community leaders...
WHYY: Mental gymnastics at the bus stop
from WHYY by Shirley Min Regular conversations between parents and their kids are key for a child’s development. Knowing that, two local professors have teamed up with people around the world to increase conversation, particularly in low-income neighborhoods. They’re...
NPR: “The Key to Raising Brilliant Kids: Play a Game”
from NPR by Cory Turner and Anya Kamenetz We all want to raise smart, successful kids, so it's tempting to play Mozart for our babies and run math drills for kindergartners. After all, we need to give them a head start while they're still little sponges, right? "It...
“Philadelphia Playful Learning Landscapes”
from Brookings by Jenny Perlman Robinson Playful Learning Landscapes seeks to transform everyday spaces into playful learning opportunities to maximize “the other 80 percent” of time that children spend outside school. It lies at the intersection of the growing Child...
Motherly: Pediatricians say play is the medicine our kids need
from Motherly by Heather Marcoux It brings a smile to their faces and ours, while lowering stress and building little brains. Play is such an important part of childhood, but opportunities for play in modern life are shrinking, and the American Academy of Pediatrics...
Quartz: Laundromats are playing an unlikely role in the effort to shrink America’s literacy gap
from Quartz by Annabelle Timsit Seven-year-old Emma McGee used to hate coming to the laundromat. It was boring, and seemed to take forever. In fact she would always ask—unsuccessfully—to stay home with her older brother, Aiden. But things have gotten more interesting...
The Atlantic: Playtime May Bolster Kids’ Mental Health
from The Atlantic by Angela Lashbrook “Play has become a four-letter word.” So says Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, a psychologist at Temple University and one of the authors of a new paper about the importance of play in children’s lives. The clinical report, published by the...