
Wow! Drawing nearly 300 attendees from around the world over three days in April, the 2025 National Conference on the Value of Play was a jam-packed event, celebrating, examining, and promoting play for its ability to fuel creativity, encourage exploration, and inspire individuals and communities—of all ages, all abilities, and across the lifespan.
2025 National Conference on the Value of Play
April 15-17, 2025 | Indiana Memorial Union
Indiana University, Bloomington
The Play Conference, as it is commonly known, is an annual educational conference presented by the US Play Coalition. The latest research and practices in the field of play are presented at the conference, which brings together leading play researchers, educators, health scientists, park and recreation professionals, landscape architects, designers, planners, business and community leaders, psychologists, physicians and parents from across the globe.
Presenter Information Conference Schedule Conference Program
Conference Overview
Conference Theme
This year’s theme is “Create, Explore, Inspire!” With this theme, the 2025 conference celebrates play as a dynamic, multifaceted experience that fuels creative ideas, art, and design;facilitates exploration of place and perspectives; and inspiresindividuals andcommunities. By embracing the "Create, Explore, Inspire!" theme, the conference aims to highlight how play serves as a powerful catalyst for learning, creativity, art & design, investigation, exploration, and more.
Session Themes
All our sessions will be classified into the following themes to help attendees find the sessions that most interest them:
Play is an avenue for creativity and innovation. Play facilitates process-based approaches. This theme incorporates, art, design, innovation, and creativity and their role in play.
Promoting play across the life, including multi/intergenerational play, is central to our mission. Explore how adults (college-aged to retirees) play and how adults share and benefit from play with children.
Play should be accessible, available, and open to all. Advance the field for play for all abilities, all shapes, all sizes, all colors.
Play is a vital part of the learning equation, both in and out of the classroom. The faces of those learning while at play are some of the most engaging! Consider play as a vehicle for learning through both traditional and nontraditional settings including schools, camps, afterschool programs, museums, zoos, aquariums, parks & recreation departments, faith-based spaces, and more.
Play is a building block for healthy living. Examine health and physical activity trends related to play, healthy benefits of play, and the intersection of health and recreation to insure a healthy face of play.
The faces of play are often wet, muddy, and sun-glistened from hours spent outdoors. Focus on play in nearby and far away nature–backyards, parks, creeks, lakes, trails, wetlands, and beyond.
Landscape architects, architects, designers, city planners, and civic groups are invaluable experts, practitioners and resources for PLAY. These sessions will be submitted for LACES CEU approval.
Play is changing! The Play movement is growing! Explore the latest in play- technology, social media, politics, policies, and more.
Play looks very different around the world. Share play practices, history, and culture from countries across the globe.
From play basics to play essentials. Share tips, trainings, techniques and tools for PLAY.
Continuing Education Units
Indiana University awards Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for your participation in Play Conference sessions. Details to come.
The Details
Schedule at a Glance
See the schedule for each day of the conference below.
To learn more about research, education, or poster sessions, check out the presenter information site here.
- Morning (8:30-11:45am) - Registration & Education Sessions
- Midday (12:00-1:30pm) - Lunch, "CREATE" Keynote and Play!
- Afternoon (1:45-4:45pm) - Education, Research, and Outdoor Sessions
- Evening (7:00-9:00pm) - Social & Fun!
- Morning (9:00am-12:00pm) - Education, Research, and Outdoor Sessions
- Midday (12:15-1:45pm) - Lunch, "EXPLORE" Keynote and Play!
- Afternoon (2:00-4:45pm) - Education, Research, and Outdoor Sessions
- Evening (7:00pm) - Social & Fun!
- Morning (8:45-11:30am) - Education, Library, and Special Sessions
- Midday (11:45am-1:30pm) - MarketPLAYce of Ideas, Awards & "INSPIRE" Celebration Lunch!
- Afternoon (1:45-3:45pm) - Education & Library Sessions
- Travel home safe... and play!
For the detailed draft schedule of events, click here. Please note that the schedule will be finalized in the week prior to the conference.
Keynote Speakers
Rick Erwin
| Cas Holman |
Creative Director & Curator of City Museum in St. Louis, "Top 50 Greatest Places in the World for Kids". | Award-winning toy-designer and developer of the world-renowed rigamajig. Founder & Principal at toy company Heroes Will Rise. |
Location, & Travel Information
Location
Indiana Memorial Union
900 E. 7th Street
Bloomington, IN 47405
Travel Information
Flying – The closest major airport is Indianapolis International Airport.
GO Express Travel, 800-589-6004, travels between Indianapolis International Airport and Bloomington several times each day with stops at all three recommended hotels. They also have private cars and a shuttle to and from Chicagoland. NOTE: All three conference hotels and the conference venue are stops on the Bloomington GoExpress shuttle to/from the Indianapolis airport.
Campus map
Visit IU’s interactive map to find buildings and parking.
Lodging Details
The Biddle Hotel (at IU’s Indiana Memorial Union)
The Biddle Hotel
900 E. Seventh Street
Bloomington, IN 47405
The Biddle Hotel is a part of the conference site (IU’s Indiana Memorial Union), so no in-town transportation will be required to go to The Play Conference from your room.
Hilton Garden Inn
Hilton Garden Inn
245 N. College Avenue
Bloomington, IN 47403
The Hilton Garden Inn is located in downtown Bloomington, a 15-minute walk from the conference location.
The Graduate
The Graduate
245 N. College Avenue
Bloomington, IN 47403
The Graduate is located in downtown Bloomington, a 15-minute walk from the conference location.
Conference Sponsors
Bronze Sponsors:

