About

"We believe play is a foundational human need and an indispensable part of hands-on learning. Play in Education exists to equip and encourage teachers to fully engage the minds of their students by leveraging the power of play. We hope this website and this newsletter become that hand or that hug when you need it."

Our Play in Education Publisher is Mary Couzin. She is the founder of Play in Education and CEO and Founder of the Chicago Toy and Game Group which hosts the Chicago Toy and Game Fair held every year in Chicago. The event is the largest toy and game fair in North America and is the capstone of POP Week, which also includes Inventor Pitch and Innovation Conferences, the Toy and Game Innovation Awards, the Young Inventor Challenge and more. She is also the founder of the Chicago Toy & Game Foundation, a non-profit, philanthropic foundation promoting play and supporting children’s organizations. Her most recent initiative is People of Play - the largest platform of playful people in the world! www.peopleofplay.com

Our Young Inventor Challenge Director is Ahren Hoffman. Ahren is a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist and a Certified Play Expert. She began her career in the toy industry in 2007. In her past role as director of education & training at the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association, Hoffman provided a full range of in-person and online educational programming that included webinars, podcasts, workshops, certifications and more. Hoffman also shared thought leadership on the developmental potential and possibility of toys and play for people of all ages and abilities through articles in a variety of industry publications and parent magazines.

As the manager of industry relations & partnerships at the National Lekotek Center, Hoffman evaluated toys and play products beneficial for all children, especially those with disabilities, at AblePlay.org, a project of Lekotek. This work allowed Hoffman to contribute to the creation of multiple toy guides and have the opportunity to be published in a manual related to the benefits of sensory play.

Ahren received her Bachelor of Science in Therapeutic Recreation with a minor in Psychology at Central Michigan University.

Research

In this study, researchers found that playing board games twice a week increased the brain speed scores of elementary students by a staggering 27 – 32%! As an educator, those numbers are tough to discount.

Two studies in the journal Cognition (one from MIT and the other from UC-Berkeley) indicate that in some situations, direct teaching is inferior to experiential learning. Children who play develop a stronger sense of creativity and inquisitiveness. Here’s the Slate article which cites those studies.

Play isn’t just for elementary school, either. Take a moment to watch this TED Talks presentation, where Dr. Stuart Brown does a great job of showing us that play is for all ages.