PBS Documentary on Play
“Where Do the Children Play?” is a one-hour PBS documentary about the vital importance of open-ended creative play for the healthy development of children. The film examines how restrictive patterns of sprawl, congestion, and endless suburban development across America are impacting children’s mental and physical health and development.
The documentary film was inspired by Elizabeth Goodenough’s book Secret Spaces of Childhood
. Goodenough, a scholar in the emerging field of children’s studies, noted that time outside school was increasingly filled with adult organized activities and indoor screen time. Children no longer had the space or opportunity to organize their own play or discover their own secret spaces.
The documentary is available for public screenings for schools, universities, and community organizations through the Alliance for Childhood. For more information about organizing a screening, e-mail Pam Lotz, pam@allianceforchildhood.org, or call 301-779-1033.
The documentary is also available for private purchase from its producer, Michigan Television (there is also a small clip of the film on this link).
Outreach director and film advisor Goodenough has also edited a study
guide to the film, with photos, articles, and children’s poetry that evoke the creative but elusive qualities of play. The book, A Place for Play, is also now available for purchase.
We are in the process of organizing a screening of the film in our local Jacksonville, Florida area. If you are interested in attending or helping with the details, please email us at info@threesisterstoys.com.
written by dana • Permalink • Comments (0) • Leave a Comment »
