Playworks New York/New Jersey is thrilled to announce the recent addition of Executive Director Kim McCall! A California transplant who now calls New York City home, Kim brings more than 15 years of extensive nonprofit management and fundraising experience. In her free time, Kim enjoys adding new stamps to her passport and extra miles to her running shoes. Please feel free to send her a virtual high five at Kim McCall!
Welcome our new Executive Director!
January 10, 2023
Understanding the Complex Simplicities of Play ›
Play is a behavior that is natural and has existed for thousands of years and across species. It combines a set of made-up rules or norms and a willingness to explore. Researchers, scientists, and doctors have studied the effects of play on kids–and adults–and understand that this natural behavior has tremendous benefits. As the American…
December 21, 2022
Building Skill Through Play: Managing Disappointment and Teaching Positive Body Language ›
It’s the holiday season! Schools and Playworks are counting down the days until winter break, but first we’re focusing on managing disappointment and teaching positive body language. We all know that it can be incredibly easy to get swept up in the negative emotions a disappointment brings because our expectations were not met. For kids,…
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…