Play is back in the news, as organizers get ready for what’s billed as the Ultimate Block Party, an event where scientists, artists and executives will show off the importance of play and its role in learning, this Sunday.
The block party is part of a broader movement to “encourage a new way of thinking about learning” through play, with a grounded goal of creating a more competitive workforce for the global economy. It comes at a good time, highlighting the power of play as the new movie “Waiting for Superman” sparks a broader debate about improving K-12 education.
In 2009, a small group of educators, business leaders, authors and researchers formed Play for Tomorrow to champion the importance of play in the lives of children. Conceived as a multi-tiered social movement, the groundbreaking initiative aims to ensure that all children are provided with the competitive skills necessary to succeed in the 21st Century global economy as well as build a public dialog(ue) to underscore the value of play in fostering lifelong achievement and social, emotional and physical well being. – “Ultimate Block Party in Central Park Kicks Off National Play Movement,” press release, 9/10.
The groups suggest there is a play deficit:
- The amount of time children spent on play shrunk from 40 percent in 1981 to 25 percent in 1997, according to the group.
- Over the last 20 years kids lost eight hours of play, according to David Elkind’s “The Power of Play: How Spontaneous, Imaginative Activities Lead to Happier, Healthier Children.”
- 30,000 schools don’t have recess.
Check out the group’s videos.
(I am waiting to hear if the Ultimate Block Party is coming to Seattle.)
What: Ultimate Block Party: The Arts and Sciences at Play
Where: Naumburg Bandshell, Central Park, New York City
When: Oct. 3, Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.