Thank you for your interest in becoming involved with the US PLAY Coalition. We invite organizations and individuals to join us in a national play coalition to promote the value of play in the lives of children, adolescents, and adults. In partnership with existing organizations and initiatives, we have begun to mobilize the following five committees:
Coalition-building Committee: To ensure the greatest possible diversity of perspectives, knowledge, and experience among the coalition’s members.
Research Committee: To review and synthesize the results of research on the effects of play and play deprivation on lifelong cognitive, physical, and affective development and on public health and other vital societal interests.
Communications Committee: To develop strategies for informing the public and policymakers about the value of play and to inspire individuals and families to reap the benefits of more playful lives.
Play Policy Committee: To advocate for practices, policies, and legislation in support of play, including changes in liability laws that unnecessarily restrict opportunities for healthy play.
Playful Communities Committee: To establish national guidelines and other practical resources for healthy play and healthy communities.
If you recognize the value of play, want to learn more about its benefits, and are willing to help communicate with others about its importance, then you should join the U.S. Play Coalition. We welcome the involvement of individuals as well as nonprofit, for-profit, government, and faith-based organizations.
Membership is free, and simply requires a declaration of shared commitment to the value of play.
National Safety Month - June 1 to June 30 - Each June, the National Safety Council encourages organizations to get involved and participate in National Safety Month. NSM is an annual observance to educate and influence behaviors around leading causes of preventable injuries and deaths.
Great Outdoors Month 2013 - June 1 to June 30 - Excitement is growing across the nation about plans for Great Outdoors Week and Great Outdoors Month 2013. Great Outdoors Month celebrates a variety of important events and actions that occur during June, and highlights the benefits of active fun outdoors and our magnificent shared resources of forests, parks, refuges and other public lands and waters. Great Outdoors Week (June 1-8) showcases efforts enhancing outdoor recreation for all Americans in the 21st century through awards, briefings and other events in the Nation’s Capital.
Deadline July 24 – Call for Proposals on Public Health Law Research - June 12 to July 24 - The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has released the 2013 Call for Proposals on “Public Health Law Research: Making the Case for Laws that Improve Health.” The program seeks to build evidence for and strengthen the use of regulatory, legal and policy solutions to improve public health. Policies about recess, physical activity, unstructured play, and liability statutes for schoolyard playgrounds might be possible play topics to tie into the call.
Vote now until July 15 - Win $100,000 from Coca-Cola for your favorite park - June 12 to July 15 - Having fun and getting fit outdoors just became a great way to win funding for your favorite park. Coca-Cola has kicked off the fourth-annual “America is Your Park” campaign where people can vote for their favorite park to win up to $100,000. What are you waiting for?
National Safety Month - June 1 to June 30 - Each June, the National Safety Council encourages organizations to get involved and participate in National Safety Month. NSM is an annual observance to educate and influence behaviors around leading causes of preventable injuries and deaths.
Great Outdoors Month 2013 - June 1 to June 30 - Excitement is growing across the nation about plans for Great Outdoors Week and Great Outdoors Month 2013. Great Outdoors Month celebrates a variety of important events and actions that occur during June, and highlights the benefits of active fun outdoors and our magnificent shared resources of forests, parks, refuges and other public lands and waters. Great Outdoors Week (June 1-8) showcases efforts enhancing outdoor recreation for all Americans in the 21st century through awards, briefings and other events in the Nation’s Capital.
Deadline July 24 – Call for Proposals on Public Health Law Research - June 12 to July 24 - The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has released the 2013 Call for Proposals on “Public Health Law Research: Making the Case for Laws that Improve Health.” The program seeks to build evidence for and strengthen the use of regulatory, legal and policy solutions to improve public health. Policies about recess, physical activity, unstructured play, and liability statutes for schoolyard playgrounds might be possible play topics to tie into the call.
Vote now until July 15 - Win $100,000 from Coca-Cola for your favorite park - June 12 to July 15 - Having fun and getting fit outdoors just became a great way to win funding for your favorite park. Coca-Cola has kicked off the fourth-annual “America is Your Park” campaign where people can vote for their favorite park to win up to $100,000. What are you waiting for?