Zen masters. Taoist sages. Hasidic storytellers. Clowns and performance artists. Such prophets – and all the spiritual traditions have them – encourage us not to take ourselves too seriously. To our sensible selves, their actions seem silly, shameless, even shocking. But they have an important role in the spiritual life. They carry the banner for […]
Play Like a Champion Today is an independent 501(c)(3) dedicated to providing leadership in a worldwide effort to change the culture of youth sports through education and consultancy. Since 2006, Play Like a Champion has served over 130,000 coaches and parents through a network of 230+ partners across the United States and Canada. Play Like […]
PlayBoard NI is an independent charity and the lead organisation for the development and promotion of children and young people’s play in Northern Ireland. OUR MISSION Leading the Play Agenda. OUR CORE VALUES 1. We believe that play is a fundamental right of childhood and is central to children and young people’s development; 2. We […]
Our Mission Our Mission is building communities through Play & Recreation. Our Values: Play & Recreation We Believe that various forms of play, recreation, and physical activity are essential throughout life as they provide a healthy life balance and greatly enrich people of all ages and abilities. Leadership We Believe in profitably growing the company […]
PlayMatters is an Occupational Therapy Clinic specializing in serving families and children with Sensory Processing disorders. A child’s “job” is to play and to learn. For a child, activities like running, swinging, climbing, buttoning, drawing, and writing are their “occupation.” For some children, this comes naturally. For others, these activities can be challenging. As Pediatric […]
Playworks has been helping educators re-think playtime since 1995 We help kids to stay active and build valuable life skills through play. Playworks brings out the best in kids, through play Playtime is kids’ time. But schools can and should create play environments that help kids be their best. Studies show that recess matters: a […]
Jeff Harry offers coaching sessions to show individuals and companies how to tap into their true selves, to feel their happiest and most fulfilled – all by playing. Jeff believes that we already have many of the answers we seek, and by simply unleashing our inner child, we can find our purpose and, in turn, […]
OUR MISSION To protect, educate and empower children to rise above adversity using the power of play. OUR STORY For more than 20 years, Right To Play has worked in some of the most difficult and dangerous places on earth to help children to stay in school and graduate, resist exploitation and overcome prejudice, keep […]
The Association for the Study of Play (TASP) is the premier professional organization in academia dedicated to interdisciplinary research and theory construction concerning play throughout the world. Presently the Association publishes a quarterly newsletter titled Play Review and an annual volume titled Play & Culture Studies. The Association’s broad multidisciplinary focus includes the fields of […]
OUR MISSION The Alliance for Early Childhood is a collaborative, community organization that supports and guides families and educators to nurture the healthy, well-rounded development of children from birth to eight years old. OUR VISION As a community, we can “put the child back in childhood” and build a strong developmental foundation for our children’s […]
Imagine what would happen if, instead of sending children to conventional schools where their natural ways of learning are curtailed, we provided them with the resources that would allow their curiosity, playfulness, and other natural ways of learning to flourish. That is “Self-Directed-Education” (SDE): education that derives from the self-chosen activities and life experiences of […]
Just because we’re adults doesn’t mean we have to make life all about work. Learn how play can benefit your relationships, job, and mood. In our hectic, modern lives, many of us focus so heavily on work and family commitments that we never seem to have time for pure fun. Somewhere between childhood and adulthood, […]
Our mission is to provide families with the information and inspiration they need to make play an important part of their child’s day. Through our website and social media channels, parents can find facts, useful tips and expert advice on how toys and play can help kids build confidence, creativity, critical thinking and other skills […]
The mission of the Homeless Children’s Playtime Project (Playtime) is to cultivate resilience in children experiencing family homelessness by providing and expanding access to transformative play experiences. We do this by: – Creating ongoing play opportunities that nurture healthy child development – Challenging systemic injustice by advocating for policies and practices that reduce the risk […]
The Circle of Play is a body and movement play practice that guides helping professionals to experience the restorative and transformative function of play. The Circle of Play’s vision is to foster transformative learning experiences for helping professionals within the healthcare, education, and corporate sectors. Through play workshops, seminars, well-being coaching, and retreats, helping professionals […]
The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is a professional membership organization that works to promote high-quality early learning for all young children, birth through age 8, by connecting early childhood practice, policy, and research. We advance a diverse, dynamic early childhood profession and support all who care for, educate, and work […]
The design of a schoolyard can impact how students connect with each other – a connection that carries over into the rest of their school day. During the school day, children need regular opportunities to play, socialize, rest, and re-energize. These opportunities improve mood, well-being, resilience, and social harmony – factors that are foundational to […]
Professor Trawick-Smith directs the TIMPANI toy study, which was a ten-year, empirical study that looked at how young children in natural settings play with a variety of toys. The study identified toys that best engage children in intellectual, creative, social, and verbal interactions in preschool classrooms.
Family Lives provides targeted early intervention and crisis support to families who are struggling. The issues we support families with include family breakdown, challenging relationships and behaviour, debt, and emotional and mental wellbeing. Family Lives was formed over forty years ago by volunteers, with the aim of ensuring that all parents had somewhere to turn […]
Our mission is to equip at-risk kids with the skills they need to succeed in school, stay in school, and thrive in life. THE NEED Growing up is tough, growing up without the resources and support you need is even tougher. Low-income kids oftentimes experience significant trauma, are exposed to violence, have fewer role models, […]
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NIFPlay and Dr. Stuart Brown have been featured in these media outlets (and more!).
The Institute wants the world to know:
A) Playing, being playful, is the healthiest way to spend your time (after feeding and housing yourself).
B) The activities that evoke playful feelings are unique to each of us.
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