The “Parent LAB PLAY DAY” workshop is an educational experience inspired by the playful engagement typical of a Parent LAB PLAY DAY. This dialogue-based workshop, facilitated through and between physically interactive play activities, centers the value and necessity of play, broadly, at the different ages and stages of students in k-12 education. We provide an overview of core research findings, examples of in-field practice, and constructive brainstorming for participants to begin creating their own action plans for introducing more opportunities for play into the lives of their students.

This workshop uses:

Julian is A Mermaid by Jessica Love (k),

Ada Twist Scientist by Andrea Beaty (k5-5),

Crossover by Kwame Alexander (5-8),

Let’s Clap, Jump, Sing & Shout; Dance, Spin & Turn It Out!: Games, Songs, and Stories from an African American Childhood by Patricia McKissack (all ages).

In the week prior to the workshop, we share a link to video recordings of our facilitator(s) reading the listed books and/or offer extensive summaries of the longer books. The books factor into the workshop discussion as narrative examples, textual tools, and immediate resources.