• 2021 VIRTUAL Conference on the
    Value of Play: PLAY IS SURVIVAL

    Learn More

  • 2021 VIRTUAL Conference on the
    Value of Play: PLAY IS SURVIVAL

    Learn More

  • 2021 VIRTUAL Conference on the
    Value of Play: PLAY IS SURVIVAL

    Learn More

  • 2021 VIRTUAL Conference on the
    Value of Play: PLAY IS SURVIVAL

    Learn More

Education

Annual Conference on the VALUE of Play

The Play Conference, as it is commonly known, is an annual educational conference presented by the US Play Coalition.

We are thrilled to announce the 2021 VIRTUAL Conference on  the Value of Play kicks off this spring!  This conference format, in response to the continued concerns of the COVID-19 pandemic, features LIVE headliners, dozens of recorded educational and research presentations and weekly networking events – all online through June 30, 2021.

The latest research and practices in the field of play are presented at the conference, which brings together play researchers, park and recreation professionals, camp professionals, educators, health scientists, architects, landscape architects, designers, planners, business and community leaders, psychologists, physicians and parents from across the U.S. and beyond.

2020 ONLINE Conference
on the Value of Play: PLAY FOR ALL
CLICK HERE for Conference Details
2021 VIRTUAL Conference
on the Value of Play: PLAY IS SURVIVAL
KICKS OFF April 1, 2021

Communication

News & Press Releases

US Play Coalition Announces 2020 Award Winners

The U.S. Play Coalition is proud to announce the 2020 recipients of its annual awards program, recognizing outstanding play research and youth practitioners. First awarded in 2017, our awards program honors exceptional play researchers that have made significant contributions to the knowledge of play and practitioners that help further play in their communities and beyond.   2020 Joe L. Frost Award for Distinguished Research Winner – Stuart Brown, MD The US Play Coalition recognizes a… Read More

From The Playground

Remembering How to Play:
One Pandemic Intern Finds Inspiration from our Online Play Conference

As we get older, naturally, play finds itself towards the bottom of the priority list. We cannot always escape the demands life brings, and many of us may feel as though play no longer deserves the time we once gave it when we were younger. Or maybe we feel we are incapable of dedicating large amounts of time to it because we are occupied with things that are more important in fulfilling our definition of… Read More

News Stories Continued
From the Playground Continued

Research

Action & Research Grants

Grant funding is a distinctive feature of our annual Play Conference, and we are proud to have awarded more than $60,000 in funding to date.  Through competitive funding opportunities, we offer both Action and Research Grants to playmakers and researchers whose work has the potential to improve and expand the Play Movement.

Available Grants

  • Research-Based Case for Recess (2019)

    research pdfs

  • Improving Children’s Health through Play (2018)

    research pdfs

  • The Critical Place for Play in Education (2015)

    research pdfs

  • PLAY Pulse

    research pdfs
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