Why Play?

Play is essential for a young child’s development and for preparing children for school. Often, high-quality learning opportunities are limited for our most vulnerable communities in Chicago. Therefore, to prepare children from our most under-resourced communities for school and further development, play must be integrated into not only our early learning classrooms but also our community public spaces. By creating changes to our urban environment with infusing playful learning opportunities, caregivers and their children will have the opportunity to maintain and build their children’s literacy, math, and spatial skills while waiting for the bus, going for a walk, or going to the local laundromat.

Impact

Playful Learning is a proven and an evidenced-based method to enhance caregiver/child interaction outside of the formal learning setting. Based off the research of Dr. Kathy Hirsh Pasek at Temple University’s Infant & Child Laboratory, Playful Learning installation brings play experiences that focus on targeted learning outcomes to the everyday space. In previous work, Dr. Hirsh Pasek finds that by adding caregiver prompted signage and/or learning experiences in untraditional spaces of learning, caregiver/child language interaction increases.

Playful Learning in Chicago builds off Dr. Hirsh Pasek’s work. Playful Learning Chicago in conjunction with the University of Illinois is conducting a replication study to show the project’s effectiveness in the Chicago environment. The study will attempt to address the following research questions:

  • How do children and caregivers interact with the playful learning installations?
  • What are families expecting from public spaces as a result of the project?
  • What outcomes are associated with engagement of the playful learning installations?
    • Does the project alter the quantity and quality of caregiver interactions with children?
    • How do parents interact with their child at home/other environments following exposure to the installations?
  • Is there an optimal amount of interaction(s) with the landscapes that increases the likelihood of caregivers incorporating active learning strategies into their home?

Check back in Fall 2021 for the Evaluation Report.