A Month in the World of Play
Whew!
What a whirlwind summer we're having! We hope you're finding time to play and enjoy each day. We've been busy at work (read: playing!) bringing play to the Pittsburgh region and having fun everyday! We've got exciting news to share in the coming months and hope you'll join us at one of our many play pop-ups around the city. Don't forget to follow us on Twitter and Facebook and stay tuned to our website's events calendar to learn more. Check out some images from our play pop-ups below and find more photos on our social media pages.
Events (Playful Pittsburgh Collaborative hosting or participating)
Every Tuesday until August 28th
4:00pm to 6:00pm
West Ohio Street near the closed bridge. Closure of the bridge has affected Gus's ice ball stand and this pop-up was established to bring more traffic while also offering fun activities! The Playful Pittsburgh Collaborative offers play activities for all ages!
KidsPlay
Every Tuesday until August 28th
10:00am to 11:30am
Market Square Downtown. Presented by the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, the Playful Pittsburgh Collaborative partners to offer hands-on activities for young children.
Hazelwood YMCA Community Picnic
Saturday August 4th
2:00pm to 4:00pm
KaBOOM! Hazelwood (Lytle St.)
Presented by the Hazelwood YMCA, the Playful Pittsburgh Collaborative will offer hands-on activities and information about the Hazelwood Play Trail.
fitUnited School Health Lunch+Learn
Monday August 27th
11:30am to 1:30pm
1250 Penn Avenue
The Playful Pittsburgh Collaborative's Recess Advocacy Team will present in partnership with Trying Together, UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh and United Way's Be There Campaign.
Member Spotlight
Each month we will spotlight one of our wonderful partners and the work they do through audio collected and edited by SLB Radio.
UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh (CHP)- Click the link to hear hospital staff discuss the importance of play in the work of Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh.
Monthly Blog
This article is part of our Member Blog Series, which showcases Playful Pittsburgh Collaborative Members' efforts and commitment to ensure that play is a critical element in the lives of people of all ages.
August 1, 2018
Playful Pittsburgh Collaborative Member Blog
Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy - Frick Environmental Center
When nature gives you rain, make mud pies!
We’ve had record rainfall this year in Pittsburgh, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have fun outside. Mud--yes, mud--offers endless opportunities for sensory exploration and dramatic play. Or, as one source put it, “Mud is a versatile and under-rated material.”
In Kinder Nature Camp at the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, we have a whole day dedicated to dirt! Campers spend the day learning what dirt is made of, what lives in it, and engage in various dirt related activities, the best of which involve mud.
For years, our Kinder Camp director wanted to find a way to help kids really immerse in mud play. This year, a plastic wading pool filled with soft topsoil provided the solution. Our youngest campers, ages 3-5, can take off their shoes, squish the mud between their toes (or fingers), and step out onto paper to make footprints, handprints, and more. Once kids get in the pool, other possibilities arise. One group built a mud “snowperson!”
"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."
— Fred Rogers
