Between the
new pressures of schools, admissions tests and tons of extracurricular
involvements, kids today are missing out on a crucial element of growing
up—play! A crucial aspect of childhood, play fosters creativity (in addition to
social and developmental skills) which, according to recent studies and research,
is diminishing in recent generations, due to other pressures, activities and
interests of today’s kids.
However, on
October 3rd, families are invited to take part in the Ultimate Block
Party (UBP) in Central Park, a social movement devised in NYC designed to change
attitudes, beliefs and practices about the power of playful learning. Created
in response to kids’ diminishing play times, the UBP will debut in New York before expanding nationally and
internationally, catering to the needs and identity of each city. At the first
ever UPB in New York City, kids can
participate in over 30 interactive and specially-designed activities, such as
“The World’s Largest Simon Says,” building and designing, story writing, role
playing and more.
One of the
founding members of this event and movement is Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, a professor
of psychology at Temple University and the co-author of “Einstein Never
Used Flashcards.” “There is an educational global warming going on,” Hirsh-Pasek
says, “and if we don’t get it right when our children are young, it’s hard to change
the trajectory later on. Research suggests that free play is important, but
that the middle ground of play-enriched learning is where children learn best.
Did you know that IBM recently did a survey that says that we’re in a creativity
crisis? That’s not okay. We need more critical thinkers and creative
innovators.”
In dreaming
up the UBP, Hirsch-Pasek envisioned a showcase in Central Park that “shows how playful learning allows
kids to get the skills they need for a world set in the 21st Century.”
To help achieve her visions, she put together a large advisory group of experts
from institutions around the city.
One of which was Andy Ackerman, the Executive Director of the Children’s Museum of Manhattan
(CMOM) and a founder of the event. “I got a call from Kathy, who said, ‘We have
to do something dramatic, we have to make a statement to the country that this
is a science, that when kids play with blocks they’re learning math; when they
play Simon Says they’re learning how to control their bodies.’”
The UPB
will feature 25 interactive learning and play activities, giving children ample
opportunities to play and learn, as well as build, dance, create and explore. Kids
can build with Legos and learn form a master Lego builder and participate in a
Dance Dance Revolution marathon hosted by Disney Radio. The day’s activities
have been created and sponsored by great NYC institutions, including the Children’s
Museum of Manhattan, Sesame Workshop, Alice Wilder of Blue’s Clues, Lego,
Crayola, the American Psychology Association and America’s Promise Alliance, and have been
specifically chosen and designed based on research about how kids learn best.
“From my
point of view, and from CMOM’s point of view, we’re involved in this to help
parents understand the power of play and to believe it, and that their child
does not need to be over-programmed,” explains Ackerman. “It’s more critical
that they be allowed to explore on their own and discover.”
“I want parents to look into the eyes of their kids and understand that the
activities at the UBP are making their brains whirl,” he says. “They have to
understand that these types of activities are what are going to help their kids
find their passions in life and become better learners and workers.”
Of course,
the UBP’s goals extend beyond this fun-filled day in the park. Hirsh-Pasek
hopes policy makers and schools will be inspired by the success and message of
the UBP and incorporate its ideas into the educational system. “We’re willing to
put this out there so we can see learning in a new way. Playful learning allows
kids to see the whole world as virtual classrooms; they’ll be learning for the
rest of their life.”
“The
primary thing is a message to our parents and to our families—have your kids
out exploring, creating, wandering,” agrees Ackerman. “Believe in the
importance of serendipity, a child picking up a rock and exploring what’s
underneath it, those are powerful experiences that form, from early on, the
capacity to be creative.”
With an
e-zine on the way in the spring, a book series being published in the fall, and
plans for an annual UPB in New York each year (as well as additional events
around the country, and eventually, the world) the experts behind the Ultimate
Block Party are confident that this movement will help to expand and perhaps
change our understanding about learning.
“When
learning is challenging and fun and engaging, we want to do more of it—and
that’s at the root of play,” says Ackerman. “When kids can play and discover
and learn on their own and chart their own course, it’s much more fulfilling.”
To learn more about this weekend’s
event or the movement itself, visit ultimateblockparty.com.
