Founded in 2009, the US Play Coalition is a partnership to promote the value of play throughout life. We are an international network of individuals and organizations that recognize play as a valuable and necessary part of a healthy and productive life.

Housed at Clemson University, the coalition hosts conferences and educational trainings, encourages and conducts research and provides avenues of communication about the value of play worldwide.

Our largest event each year is the annual Conference on the Value of Play. This professional development conference brings together leading play researchers, educators, health scientists, park and recreation professionals, landscape architects, designers, planners, business and community leaders, psychologists, physicians and parents from across the globe.

 
2021 Joe L. Frost Award for Distinguished Research Winner - Robin C. Moore

In June we announced the award winner of the Joe L. Frost Award. Robin C. Moore, is an urban designer and design researcher, specializing in child and family urban environments that support healthy human development, informal play, and non-formal education. He is professor of landscape architecture and environmental planning and director of the Natural Learning Initiative at North Carolina State University. Robin Moore was nominated and ultimately selected for "his relentless efforts to promote design and research as driving forces for enhancing children's environments by creating diverse opportunities of nature play and learning."

THE NATURE OF PLAY


"The NATURE of PLAY" is a PLAY on words, allowing for broad interpretation by presenters! As always, the play conference will explore play across the lifespan and address universal issues of health, education, access, equity, inclusion, design and more.

We are thrilled to have our first IN-PERSON conference since 2019!! The three-day event will take place from April 2-6, 2022 in Clemson, South Carolina and includes keynote and featured speakers, PLAYtalks, PLAYinstitutes, research symposium, educational sessions, roundtables, networking, and opportunities for play.

To learn more about the conference, please visit usplaycoalition.org/playconference22" onclick="window.open(trackOutboundLink('https://usplaycoalition.org/playconference22'); return false;)" target="_blank">https://usplaycoalition.org/playconference22

Visit our website and click "Get Involved" to join. Membership is free, and simply requires a declaration of shared commitment to the value of play.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Pinterest and visit usplaycoalition.org often to keep up with the latest news, research & events!