A brief history of the Children at Play Network at Bernheim:
2000 – 2012
Bernheim explores approaches to school group programs that include opportunities for children to explore nature in playful ways. Increased observation and experimentation with the intersection of content based learning and play based learning becomes a regular part of the Bernheim approach to education.
2012 – Present
Bernheim intentionally includes play-based elements as a regular part of content-based group programming based on research that supports this approach.
2013 – 2015
Bernheim launches the Bernheim Children at Play Initiative that establishes outreach efforts, teacher workshops, free play days, and regional assistance to improve or design new outdoor play environments based on current research. Generous support from PNC Bank made this possible.
2016 – Present
Bernheim launches the Bernheim Children at Play Network which is focused on building a sustainable network of regional expertise that can focus on incremental and ongoing support for improving outdoor play environments.
2017
The Children at Play Network builds regional, national and international connections that support a systems approach (nature based design) to the work of the network. The Children at Play Network launches the www.childrenatplaynetwork.com website and establishes an approach that will allow the lessons learned at a regional level to be exported and adopted by others.
Ongoing
Our efforts related to play have always been, and will remain, evidence based, exploratory, cooperative and focused on building healthy new generations of environmental stewards through play.