October Update
October 2014

NewBookNew Book Offered by Community Playthings

Their Name is Today by Johann Christoph Arnold centers on parents and teachers who are acting on behalf of children in the face of sometimes hostile environments. Our good friends and valued partners at Community Playthings are sponsoring the book's distribution to early childhood educators. Request your free copy here.

 RaceToNowhere#BanBusy: Time to Be Creative

The film Race to Nowhere has been airing this month on public television's World channel. To continue the Race to Nowhere conversation, the Alliance is proud to be a partner with Reel Link Films in the social action campaign #BanBusy. The goal is to raise awareness about the toll overcrowded schedules are taking on the health of our children.

One area that clearly suffers due to packed schedules is creativity. In the U.S. children's creativity scores have been steadily declining since 1990. Our culture and school systems are not designed to facilitate the creative growth needed for children to become successful later in life. Artists and engineers alike come up with more innovative ideas when they are able to think creatively. An article in Newsweek addresses the creativity crisis in depth.

PlayWalesPlay Wales Receives Welsh Government Funds
 
Great news! The online petition, letters to the government, and international support have paid off. Play Wales will receive an 18-month grant to continue its good work promoting play and tackling poverty.

EventsUpcoming Events

* The Alliance for Childhood will be at the NAEYC Annual Conference in Dallas, Texas, November 5-8. Look for us at Booth 942. We will also be participating in several panels. Hope to see you there!

* On November 14 and 15 in New York City, the eighth annual Wonderplay Conference will take place at the 92nd St. Y. Alliance co-founder Joan Almon will be presenting two workshops. Click here for the flier.

 

* The International Council for Children's Play will hold its 27th international World Play Conference on February 1-3, 2015, in Brussels.

* The 2015 Conference on the Value of Play is scheduled for February 15-18. Sponsored by the U.S. Play Coalition, it will be held in Clemson, South Carolina.

* ACEI will be hosting the Institute for Global Education Diplomacy March 5-8 in Washington, DC. Alliance Director Linda Rhoads will be leading a session on effective advocacy strategies.

* The Association of Children's Museums' InterActivity 2015: Bringing the World to Children and Families will take place May 13-15. It will be hosted by the Children's Museum of Indianapolis, in Indianapolis, Indiana.

RecentArticlesRecent Articles and Publications
 

Playground News is an email newsletter that features many useful and interesting articles. In this issue scroll down to read a summary of the Alliance for Childhood's work and history. And while you're there don't forget to sign up for this weekly update that focuses on play.

 

A good pre-K classroom hums with children engaged in purposeful play. On the Op-Ed page of the New York Times on Oct. 22, two Bank Street educators address what makes a good pre-K, including mention of the Alliance report "Crisis in the Kindergarten."

  

At Forbes online, The Science Of The Common Core: Experts Weigh In On Its Developmental Appropriateness explores how wrong the Common Core is for young children. 

  

A new guide called "Kids Unbranded: Tips for Parenting in a Commercial Culture" has been released by the Center for a New American Dream. It offers advice on protecting children from commercialism and is available for free download.  

 

Remember! The Alliance for Childhood Publications page is filled with many reports, articles, books, and policy briefs, many of which you can download for free.

DonateDonate to the Alliance for Childhood!

Contributing is easy. By doing so you will support the exciting work we are doing to protect and preserve childhood. Please click here to make a donation. Or you can send a check to the address below. Thank you!

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