Keep Play Going

  1. Updates

Thanks to our incredible group of champions and supporters, Playworks has impacted the lives of millions of children. Like many other nonprofits in our community, we are adjusting to the new reality caused by the coronavirus pandemic and we are hopeful that despite the current challenges, we will be stronger in the future and able to serve even more children.

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Our commitment to supporting children, families, and schools during these turbulent times continues. Because every school we serve around the country is currently closed, Playworks saw an immediate need to ensure kids could experience safe and healthy play while following CDC guidelines related to COVID-19. So we created and launched Play at Home to ensure kids get to continue experiencing the benefits of play until schools reopen. And our goal is that Playworks will be there the very first day children return to schools, no matter when that may be.

Due to the financial strain and uncertainty, we have had to temporarily reduce 87% of our Playworks team, including staff and AmeriCorps members, impacting every community we serve. While we are hoping to rebuild as quickly as possible, we will only be able to do so with the immediate support of people like you.

This is a pivotal moment.

During these challenging times, here is how you can help immediately:

  • Donate today or become a monthly donor. Your donation today will help Playworks get through these tough financial times. 
  • Create your own fundraiser online today and invite your community to give.
  • Support Playworks with a grant recommendation from your donor-advised fund.
  • Introduce us to a family foundation or other organizations who are distributing emergency funding.
  • Support legislation for federal nonprofit emergency relief funding.

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Playworks has been working to ensure every child feels included, is active, and builds valuable social and emotional skills through play. Please, help us be there for kids for the years to come.

 

More Updates


three people with Playworks shirts
three people with Playworks shirts

July 28, 2022

A year of social and emotional learning ›

“You can’t do SEL, trauma, or equity work without each other,” Jennette Claassen, Head of Evaluation, Playworks. As Playworks continued to progress on our equity journey, we explored a critical question: what are the intersections between play, social and emotional learning, physical activity, and trauma? A working group focused on this question decided, among other…

August 24, 2021

Playworks Founder Jill Vialet Publishes ‘Why Play Works’ ›

Play brings out the best in every kid. Over the course of 25 years since Jill Vialet founded Playworks, she and her colleagues, as well as researchers and play experts, have demonstrated precisely how and why play works to help kids learn and grow in the most positive and healthy ways. Jill gathered stories from people…

March 25, 2021

Top 6 Games to Play Physically Distant with No Equipment ›

As more and more schools transition back to in-person learning, we know educators are looking for games that are physically-distant and don’t require equipment. The need for play is more important than ever due to the isolation that our kids have endured during COVID-19. Play encourages creativity, flexibility, teamwork, and other critical social skills. We’ve…