News

May 18, 2026

World Play Day Emphasizes Importance of Play for Child Development

Families and educators will be encouraged to emphasize the important role that play has in children’s growth and learning on Thursday, May 28 for World Play Day.

Resources

Play helps children to develop social skills, emphasizes creativity, improves language, and builds problem-solving skills. It improves children’s well-being and helps with brain development.

Trying Together’s Playful Resources Series includes a number of articles on how play can help children become interested in various topics (such as science), aid with social and cognitive development, and improve decision-making skills.

Some of the articles included in the series include:

The Importance of Play

In a resource titled The Importance of Play, PA Promise for Children notes that play is as important to a child’s development as work is for an adult. Play teaches children new skills and how to share with others. It also helps them to make decisions and learn about the world as well as work through scary and confusing experiences.

The American Academy of Pediatrics notes that play should be child-driven – not adult-directed – and that it is important for young people to have independent time away from TV, tablets, and video games for the sake of using their minds and keeping their bodies in good health.

PA Promise for Children writes that encouraging open-ended play can help children score higher in reading and math tests. A lack of play, on the other hand, can lead to childhood obesity, stress, aggression, and a lack of creativity or imagination.

Types of play that should be encouraged include:

Large and small-motor play
Language play (telling stories, making up silly songs)
Construction play (building things)
Sensory play (in mud or water)
Make-believe play
Rough-and-tumble and risk-taking play
Symbolic play (turning a stick into a magic wand, for example)
Mastery play (learning to do new things)

PA Promise for Children’s The Importance of Play article can be found on its website.

News

January 30, 2026

Trying Together Calls for Presentation Proposals for June UnConference

Trying Together invites those interested in presenting at its June 11 UnConference, “Out-of-School Time,” to submit proposals for presentations relating to that topic by Friday, March 6.

Learn More

Trying Together’s UnConference is an innovative, hands-on professional development training format where a deeper experience is provided around a particular theme related to early childhood education. Speakers are invited to present and participants are encouraged to engage hands-on in the workshops.

Trying Together, in partnership with APOST and Allegheny County DHS, will host UnConference: Out-of-School-Time, on Thursday, June 11. More details will follow on the location and time. PQAS and Act 48 credits will be available for attendees.

Presentation Topics

Trying Together is seeking a focused range of topical presentations for the UnConference, which will focus on the topic of out-of-school-time. The audience for the UnConference will be educators, staff, and administrators working with children in summer programs, engaged parents and caregivers, and early childhood education and out-of-school time advocates.

Those submitting proposals should design them to fit a 90-minute session. Appropriate topics include – but are not limited to:

Mental health and social-emotional well-being
Poverty responses
Trauma-informed practices for OST programs
Positive behavior management
Game-based learning strategies
Project-based learning for after school and summer programs
Managing interpersonal conflict among staff
Parent and family engagement for OST programs
The importance of play

Proposals will be selected based on a variety of criteria, including the extent to which the proposal targets and is relevant to the ECE workforce, experience or expertise of presenters, definition and focus of the topic, ability to engage participants in discussion and hands-on learning experiences, practical application of material and takeaways, and timeliness and importance of the topic.

Each workshop proposal should encourage active learning; present culturally inclusive ideas, practices, and/or relevant research aimed at positioning attendees as leaders at the early learning programs in which they work; offer strategies for effective implementation of information acquired; include presenters who have significant expertise in the topic area; and cover a 90-minute block of time.

Submitting a Proposal

Trying Together will offer a stipend of $250 for any organization or individual whose proposal is chosen to be presented at the UnConference. Proposals will be due on March 6 and, on March 16, applicants will be notified about the status of their proposal. Presentation slides and materials as well as an overview of the presentation will be due on May 28.

To submit a proposal, applicants should download the submission form and save it to their desktop. Then, submit the proposal as an attachment to learning@tryingtogether.org with the subject line “June 2026 UnConference Proposal” no later than 11:59 p.m. on March 6.

For more information on submitting proposals for Trying Together’s UnConference, check out this flyer.

Trying Together recognizes that summer programs may not have hired their summer staff yet. If you know how many staff you plan to send to the UnConference, we strongly encourage you to reserve their spots now. We will follow up later to get staff contact information. To reserve spots for your staff, email Gabby Lisella at gabby@tryingtogether.org.

News

August 27, 2025

Trying Together Asks Caregivers and Educators to Write Letters Advocating for the Importance of Play

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

News

July 14, 2025

PA Promise for Children Resource Emphasizes the Importance of Play

PA Promise for Children has put together resources on the importance of play for children’s well-being and brain development.

Learn More

In The Importance of Play, PA Promise for Children notes that play is as important to a child’s well-being as work is for an adult. Play is important for brain development by teaching children new skills and how to share with others. It helps them to make decisions and learn about the world as well as work through scary and confusing experiences.

But, PA Promise for Children writes, nearly 40 percent of elementary schools have eliminated recess or are considering it, and many kindergartners in full-day programs have no break for recess.

Real Play

Play workers in the United Kingdom consider real play to be “socially interactive, first-hand, and loosely supervised.” The American Academy of Pediatrics argues that play should be child-driven – not adult-directed – and that it is important that children have independent time away from TV, tablets, and video games for the purpose of producing “healthy, fit young bodies.”

Encouraging play, PA Promise for Children notes, can help children who have time for free, open-ended play to score higher in reading and math tests. A lack of real play, on the other hand, can lead to childhood obesity, higher levels of frustration, stress, and aggression as well as a lack of creativity and imagination.

Some of the types of play encouraged are:

Large and small-motor play
Language play (telling stories, making up silly songs)
Construction play (building things)
Sensory play (playing in mud or water)
Make-believe play
Rough-and-tumble and risk-taking play
Symbolic play (turning a stick into a magic wand, for example)
Mastery play (learning how to do new things)

To learn more, read PA Promise for Children’s The Importance of Play.

News

March 18, 2025

Genius of Play Releases Book for National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month

The Genius of Play has released a book for children in honor of March’s National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month.

Learn More

The book – “Let’s Play: A Playbook for Kids of All Abilities” – focuses on how play provides an opportunity to engage in activities that best support their development. It notes that when there is focus on a child’s strengths, interests, and areas in which they need more support, a play approach offers opportunities to participate in the challenge level that is suitable for them.

The free guide offers families a variety of adaptive, play-based activities to help children meet developmental milestones and promote social inclusion while having fun.

The book can be downloaded on The Genius of Play’s website.

The Genius of Play also offers play ideas for every age range, interest, and ability. Its resources include playbooks featuring games that help children to develop emotional intelligence, physical skills, and STEAM knowledge as well as activity sheets and other activities.

The Genius of Play is a national movement spearheaded by The Toy Association to raise awareness about play’s vital role in child development.

News

August 8, 2024

Registration Open for UnConference: Beyond the Playground: Advancing Racial Equity in Play

Registration is now open for UnConference: Beyond the Playground: Advancing Racial Equity in Play.

Learn More

Trying Together – in partnership with the P.R.I.D.E. (Positive Racial Identity Development in Early Education) Program, Hatch Partners in Play, and Playful Pittsburgh – will host the event on Monday, October 14 at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Participants will attend expert-led sessions that focus on the value and necessity of play; the benefits of play-based learning; how school and state policy may impact their children’s play experiences; play, race, identity, and the arts; and the importance of risky play activities such as climbing and balancing.

Keynote Speakers and Workshops

This year’s UnConference will include two keynote addresses. Dr. Denisha Jones will present “Play as Liberatory Early Childhood Pedagogy” in the morning. The afternoon address will be “The Healing Power of Play and Optimism” by Antony (Ant) Toombs, of the Life is Good Playmaker Project.

There will be two rounds of workshop sessions after the keynote speakers. PQAS and Act 48 credit hours will be available. Registration is required. Upon registration, attendees will be asked to select one workshop session from each timeframe.

Workshops include:

A session on the Playlab Framework that has been implemented in several public school classrooms in the region
A dialogue-based workshop inspired by the playful engagement typical of a Parent LAB PLAY DAY
A workshop exploring play equity and access in schools and communities
A session exploring the critical role of risky play in early childhood education, highlighting its significance in fostering children’s physical, emotion, and cognitive development
A session featuring P.R.I.D.E. artists as they share interactive themed art activities for early childhood-aged children

Lunch will be served and attendees will have the opportunity to network with colleagues.

More Details

Free valet parking will be available for participants. Phipps is accessible via Pittsburgh Regional Transit buses and POGOH, Pittsburgh’s bikeshare program.

Some sessions will be held outdoors, so it’s recommended that participants wear layers and comfortable footwear. Some walking is required between sessions. Participants should note needed accommodations during registration and a Trying Together representative will reach out.

Tickets for the UnConference are $25. Space is limited, so those interested in attending should register by Sept. 30.

Event details are available on Trying Together’s UnConference page.

News

May 1, 2024

Recess and Play: Community Conversations

Parents and caregivers of children, teachers, school leaders, and community members are invited to join Trying Together and Playful Pittsburgh for community conversations on play.

Learn More

Physical movement, the freedom to play, and playful learning during the school day improves a child’s social, emotional, physical, and cognitive skills. However, many American children engage in less than one hour of unstructured play per day.

We’d like to know how much your child is able to play. A community conversation being held on May 30 will discuss how play is a part of a child’s school life. The event will help attendees learn how to advocate for play and developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood.

Dinner and child care will be provided to participants at the in-person event. There will also be a virtual event in June.

Details

Thursday, May 30 | 5 – 7 p.m.
Spartan Community Center of Hazelwood, 134 East Elizabeth Street in Pittsburgh
Register

Monday, June 10 | 7 – 8 p.m.
Virtual
Register

Can’t attend? Take the play advocacy survey to share your thoughts.

News

Recess and Play: Community Conversations

Parents and caregivers of children, teachers, school leaders, and community members are invited to join Trying Together and Playful Pittsburgh for community conversations on play.

Learn More

Dinner and child care will be provided to participants at the in-person event. There will also be a virtual event in June.

Details

Thursday, May 30 | 5 – 7 p.m.
Spartan Community Center of Hazelwood, 134 East Elizabeth Street in Pittsburgh
Register

Monday, June 10 | 7 – 8 p.m.
Virtual
Register

Can’t attend? Take the play advocacy survey to share your thoughts.