School’s out …but Play Never Goes on Vacation!

(Parts of this post were originally published in the June 2009 issue of Positively Naperville)


Play, it is assumed, is a natural part of childhood. Yet most educators would agree that play is disappearing from children’s lives. How children learn is as important as what children learn—and what children learn and take away from play experiences is endless!

Recently you may have seen the NBC5 news feature, The Pleasure of Play. When interviewed, Dr. Barbara Bowman, professor at Erikson Institute, states that in an age of jam-packed to-do lists filled with scheduled events, it's important to mark out a chunk of time and simply put "PLAYTIME" on the calendar.


How about putting “PLAYTIME at DuPage Children’s Museum” on your calendar? Designed for children up to the age of ten, DCM offers more than 150 exhibits with virtually endless interactive, open-ended, fun experiences for everyone! From the exhibits within our seven neighborhoods to our free daily drop-in programs developed around the integration of the arts, math and sciences, there are many shared experiences for multiple age and developmental levels within your family. DCM exhibits and programs empower children to set their own pace, transcending age and experience. New summer hours began June 1!

Looking for more reasons to play? Check out our Just for Grown Ups resource, Ten Reasons to Make Time for Play . Quoting experts and recent research, this paper supports the importance of play to a child's overall development and achievement.