PlayMatters!

• Mission Statement

  PlayMatters! was established to support early childhood programs in placing play at the heart of children’s lives.

  The Southern California Chapter of the California Association for the Education of Young Children (SCC-CAAEYC) was the recipient of a generous gift of $9,000 from PlayMatters!, a non-profit organization founded by the late Docia Zavitkovsky to put play at the heart of children’s programs.   An SCC committee was formed to develop future plans for the expenditure of these funds.

  Resources:

  May 6, 2021:  SCC-CAAEYC PlayMatters! Resource Information:  https://conta.cc/3haSEJ6

  Past events include: 

  • Reconnecting with Your Playful Self 2013 Keynote Speaker Elizabeth Jones of Pacific Oaks College Noted Author, Researcher and Play Enthusiast

  Topic: Rediscover how play builds your understanding of children’s learning “Playing: choosing what to do, doing it, and enjoying it.  Smart: optimistic and creative in the face of the unknown.” Jones & Cooper, 2006, viii

  • The Power of REAL PLAY 2015 with the late Bev Bos, who was an internationally renowned early childhood educator and was a passionate advocate for the importance of spontaneous play in the lives of young children. She shared her insights and techniques from over 40 years as director and teacher at the Roseville, CA Community Preschool. Following her keynote address, Bev Bos and her co-presenter, Michael Leeman demonstrated and showed slides and videos of the myriad ways in which participants use the creative arts throughout life and in programs to foster children’s spontaneous play. Those who attended experienced a rare opportunity to catch the magic and the spirit of play from the late Bev Bos, known lovingly as the pied piper of play!

   

  • Voices for Play Leadership Initiative 2017

  The PlayMatters! Committee of SCC-CAAEYC cordially invites you to participate in groundbreaking efforts to grow the next generation of empowered leaders and advocates across professional disciplines who will speak with a common voice about the importance of play in young children’s lives.

   

  • The Power of Play Conference 2019:  Keynote Speaker: Dr. Stuart Brown Founder of the  National Institute of Play

  Research confirms the value of play and its impact on brain development, social connections, literacy, and language acquisition and physical development.   A packed house of participants joined SCC for a day of learning and engagement in various workshops and with a Keynote speech by Dr. Stuart Brown, author of Play: How it Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul!

  The PlayMatters! committee always welcomes your thoughts, research, and ideas about children’s play, and about infusing the kind of play children need in early childhood programs. 

  Interested members should contact Nicki Backlar at scc.playmatters@gmail.com for information about committee meetings and plans.