Held on June 14 - 16, 2009
Clemson University Madren Conference Center
Clemson, SC
"The Summit on the Value of Play," addressed our nation’s problem with the erosion of the value of play. We are all beginning to see the negative impacts from the lack of play among our citizens, including obesity, attention deficit disorder and limited creativity, to name a few. This summit addressed the measurable benefits of play; highlighted the current political, economic and social barriers that stifle play and identified existing and new opportunities to overcome these barriers.
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Who Attended?
The target audience for "The Summit on the Value of Play" consisted of approximately 100 attendees, including the nation’s leading authorities on the role and value of play from the fields of health, education, human development and recreation. Through a dissemination of information with the attendees' respective associates the target audience was incrementally much larger. The attendees were representatives of educational institutions, businesses, federal, state, and local agencies, hospitals, health institutions, nonprofit and other organizations. As a result of this conference, a new collaborative network was developed. Coming from different backgrounds, many of these individuals have never sat together before; however, the time has come for such a history making event. "The Summit on the Value of Play" has the potential to make a tremendous difference in the lives and health of our nation’s citizens.
Conference Objectives
The purpose of the summit was to bring together a target audience of the nation’s leading authorities on the role and value of play from the fields of health, education, human development and recreation. The summit gave these authorities the opportunity to discuss the current role of play in modern society and the factors that limit its value. It will be a mechanism to further "Healthy People 2010," and its overarching goal of "increasing quality and years of healthy life." Participants in the summit had a venue in which to articulate the latest thinking and information on the measureable benefits of play on the health, physical activity, and well-being of this nation and its citizens. They were able to highlight the current political, economic, and social barriers that stifle play and worked toward the identification of existing opportunities and new initiatives necessary to overcome these barriers.
Additional summit objectives included:
- Based on the collaborative exchange of ideas among attendees, developed calls to action, including implementation steps that convey the value of play as it relates to health, physical activity, and overall well-being.
- In association with conference attendees, compiled and published a self-perpetuating annotated bibliography and web directory of people, programs, projects, and publications (including the summit proceedings) associated with the value of play.
- By the conclusion, conference attendees were able to identify the benefits and barriers of play, as well as the key cognitive, physical, and affective aspects of play as they relate to health, physical activity, and overall well-being.
Also see
"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.