This committee will make coalition members and others aware of current and proposed legislation and other actions related to play.
The Summit on the Value of Play has raised critical questions about the challenges that lay before us to educate the public about the importance of free play for all.
Our society has, unfortunately, become fearful and timid about the sometimes-necessary consequences that come with the risks, challenges and immense learning that free play
offers. Thus, parents often hesitate to allow their children to experience the valuable life lessons their kids can learn through play.
Public officials have in many cases eliminated these opportunities and facilities in fear of the costs associated with liability litigation.
Our committee and the coalition will provide you with information that we hope you will circulate, when appropriate, to your members and colleagues and take appropriate
action. It is critical today that we experience play and reap the developmental rewards that it offers.
Committee Co-chairs
Rich Dolesh, NRPA, rdolesh@nrpa.org
Ken Kutska, International Playground Safety Institute, kskutska@aol.com
"Play Unplugged" initiative kickoff in Largo Central Park - March 10 - "Play Unplugged" is designed to help parents, caregivers and local service providers address the barriers and fears impeding children's free play. The initiative kicks off with an event March 10 at Largo Central Park.
With the help of Pop Up Adventure Play, a New York-based play advocacy organization, the park will be filled with hands-on-games, discovery stations and a plethora of recycled materials including old refrigerator boxes, pieces of old fabric and scraps of wood and paper. Organizations like the Boy Scouts of America, will be conducting tree climbing lessons.
Along with the large event on March 10, the following Monday, McMahon will hold a "train the trainer'' day for caregivers from day care centers throughout Pinellas County. The program will provide more discussion on free play.
Certified Interpretive Trainers Course in Charlotte, NC - April 16 to April 20 - The National Association of Interpreters (NAI) is hosting a Certified Interpretive Trainers (CIT) course at the Reedy Creek Nature Center in Charlotte, NC. Completing this course will help interpreters demonstrate they have skills and knowledge to perform effectively. The course is open to any interested individuals, but is of particular interest to those working in nature centers, museums, zoos, living history sites, etc.
26th International Council for Children's Play (ICCP) World Play Conference - June 17 to June 20 - The 26th ICCP World Play Conference will be held in Tallinn, Estonia on the 18 and 19 June 2012, organised in co-operation with Tallinn University and the Estonian Union for Child Welfare.
Children need time and space to play as part of their everyday lives. 'Play' is provided and organised in many different forms, from educational activities for pre-school children to childcare services for school-aged children; from playwork settings to youth services; from outdoor play to play in the virtual environment for children of all ages; from sports and leisure activities for young children and teenagers; and many, many more.
This conference will explore what can be learnt from research about the provision of play by adults in the light of the widely-held view of children's need for undirected time and space in their lives from a practical, philosophical and historical perspective.
"Play Unplugged" initiative kickoff in Largo Central Park - March 10 - "Play Unplugged" is designed to help parents, caregivers and local service providers address the barriers and fears impeding children's free play. The initiative kicks off with an event March 10 at Largo Central Park. With the help of Pop Up Adventure Play, a New York-based play advocacy organization, the park will be filled with hands-on-games, discovery stations and a plethora of recycled materials including old refrigerator boxes, pieces of old fabric and scraps of wood and paper. Organizations like the Boy Scouts of America, will be conducting tree climbing lessons. Along with the large event on March 10, the following Monday, McMahon will hold a "train the trainer'' day for caregivers from day care centers throughout Pinellas County. The program will provide more discussion on free play.
Certified Interpretive Trainers Course in Charlotte, NC - April 16 to April 20 - The National Association of Interpreters (NAI) is hosting a Certified Interpretive Trainers (CIT) course at the Reedy Creek Nature Center in Charlotte, NC. Completing this course will help interpreters demonstrate they have skills and knowledge to perform effectively. The course is open to any interested individuals, but is of particular interest to those working in nature centers, museums, zoos, living history sites, etc.
26th International Council for Children's Play (ICCP) World Play Conference - June 17 to June 20 - The 26th ICCP World Play Conference will be held in Tallinn, Estonia on the 18 and 19 June 2012, organised in co-operation with Tallinn University and the Estonian Union for Child Welfare. Children need time and space to play as part of their everyday lives. 'Play' is provided and organised in many different forms, from educational activities for pre-school children to childcare services for school-aged children; from playwork settings to youth services; from outdoor play to play in the virtual environment for children of all ages; from sports and leisure activities for young children and teenagers; and many, many more. This conference will explore what can be learnt from research about the provision of play by adults in the light of the widely-held view of children's need for undirected time and space in their lives from a practical, philosophical and historical perspective.