Colleen The Play Therapist

10/07/2026

Theraplay is awesome. I highly recommend that you take advantage of this local training opportunity if you’re in NJ.

NJAPT is excited to announce Theraplay with Karen Doyle-Buckwalter is coming for our 2027 Conference. Jump up and down, do a happy dance, and head to our website to register. You have two options: register for day 1 for a Foundational understanding and MIM OR register for day 1-4 for Theraplay. Level 1 and MIM. We cannot wait until March to play with everyone! All details are at www.njapt.org/conference2027

10/02/2026

One month left to share your expertise at the 2027 Conference!

The Call for Presentations for the 2027 National Conference on the Value of Play: Driven by Play is officially open, but the clock is ticking.

We’re bringing together a global network of educators, practitioners, and leaders across education, health, play spaces, libraries, and beyond. Whether you have cutting-edge research or practical applications to share, we want to hear from you!

Submit your proposal for an educational session, research session, or poster presentation today: https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fusplaycoalition.org%2Fconference%2F2027%2Fcall-for-presentations.html%3Ffbclid%3DIwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAcGRvZgVicmlkETFmYkw1ZHBIY1JydWNDM2Jtc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHgUquIRK-QT_dfwdMb_JywXIbow8BL8L2FF6hy7wAMKVXoe02YYalXdXvi4k_aem_LSxXb1GAeSgHgmguUU3DbQ&h=AUBWCsY9fz2udly-nMg9BoEMRoRxkbtFomGPx3VZnfOa7T4EpCFqyOoSZmkawZyjoejjTVZFqARAOsIG7VRzZwlAaRfrwDFiidUE1zynVTWxiTaoM-rNwC0xS64Qj2-z20wjA6bXhMIJxg&__tn__=-UK-R&c[0]=AUBLNh2v9g1yBd5_nM3MCCvD33Su5KUIG7Orbk054wmI9v8JO_ouWRsCPEp4ODpZpFkn4PVjQIQp-wUb8VrtCnNKFRCzOALFSUow0Wy_8UHUtymYrfRFFoOtdVIHbhckXKR9s5tDfS06-J1_6Z8cUQrQX0C4WW-SCJ04VRHTyJcM8x_fvq1h9g6MJVFMxEXTi9sZMl4-7l-Mgmg8N3WIp2LWUg

Deadline: Sunday, November 1 at 11:59 PM PT
🔗 Tap the Presenter Information link in our bio to apply!

09/19/2026

This is by far the best book I have read addressing reasons for the mental health crisis in children that we are experiencing. I highly recommend that parents, teachers, mental health professionals, and anyone who cares about children read this book. And, for fun here’s a photo of when I met the esteemed author Dr. Peter Gray at the U.S. Play Coalition Conference earlier this year.

09/18/2026

Tomorrow's the day.

Tomorrow, kids across the country will climb trees, build forts, paint rocks, run through sprinklers, and just... play. No schedules. No screens. No agenda. Just childhood, the way it's supposed to be.

If you signed up to host: thank you. You're proof that protecting play takes action, not just belief.

If you requested a proclamation: thank you. You made sure your elected officials are on record supporting every child's right to play.

If you haven't done either yet — there's still time. This weekend get out and play!
See you tomorrow. 🛝

08/27/2026

08/21/2026

This looks like a great opportunity!

Scholarships are available

08/20/2026

Play belongs in communities
• Children need the freedom to roam, take risks and discover the world on their own terms.
• We must reclaim streets, parks and open spaces, design neighborhoods with children in
mind, and push back against the culture of over scheduling.
• Everywhere there is a child, there is a right to play.

08/17/2026

Excellent opportunities at a school in Denville, New Jersey for a school social worker and a special educator. This is a school I would have loved to work at. Check it out!

08/12/2026

Fred Rogers reminded us that “Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children, play is serious learning. At various times, play is a way to cope with life and to prepare for adulthood. Playing is a way to solve problems and to express feelings. In fact, play is the real work of childhood.”

Research shows that play is how children…
- Share their feelings
- Learn about the world around them
- Build relationships
- Feel a sense of agency and control
- Develop important life skills

Check out this clinical report, which was reaffirmed January 2025, to learn more about the research behind the importance of play: https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/142/3/e20182058/38649/The-Power-of-Play-A-Pediatric-Role-in-Enhancing?autologincheck=redirected

Citation: Michael Yogman, Andrew Garner, Jeffrey Hutchinson, Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, Roberta Michnick Golinkoff, Committee on Psychosocial Aspects of Child and Family Health, Council on Communications and Media; The Power of Play: A Pediatric Role in Enhancing Development in Young Children. Pediatrics September 2018; 142 (3): e20182058. 10.1542/peds.2018-2058