News

In recognition of the upcoming National Day of Play championed by the USA Affiliate (IPA USA) of the International Play Association on Sept. 20, Trying Together is asking caregivers and educators to take part in a letter-writing campaign to advocate for the importance of play for children in early childhood settings.

Be an Advocate for Playful Learning

Play-based learning and adequate recess time have been shown to support children’s health and holistic well being, aid in the development of executive function skills, improve behaviors, and increase academic knowledge acquisition. 

The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and the World Health Organization recommend one to three hours of vigorous activity for children each day and play-based learning as the primary instructional model for all of early childhood, birth to age 9, yet no state in the United States requires recess and most children in U.S. schools receive 40 minutes or less of recess per day. 

How Can You Help? 

Trying Together’s Advocacy Team recommends sending a letter to school principals, school board members, or other district leaders and mobilizing other members of the community to do the same. 

The Advocacy Team has put together a toolkit of sample letters to get started. Writers should be sure to include their own story and discuss why play matters to them. 

Letters can be sent by mail or email.

Sample letters include ones for caregivers or teachers to administrators, ECE providers to school districts, formal memos to districts or birth to age 5 programs, and students. Another resource is a list of recommendations on physical activity by age.

“Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children, play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood“

-Mr. Rogers