Pop-Up Adventure Play in partnership with Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest’s Children at Play Network is delighted to announce this virtual play sharing experience. With in-person and online options, this September’s ‘Virtually a Campference’ is designed to help play champions connect with one another in ways that make sense for right now.
The online portion is focused on supporting reflection on your most urgent questions, and bringing in inspiring practitioners to share their stories.
Play Campference 2021 – The Virtual Version
Virtual Campference will be conducted in English with simultaneous translations in:
Turkish
Portuguese
Arabic
Spanish
Date: Friday, September 24th
Time: 12:00 noon – 2:00 p.m. (Eastern Time US – do your own conversions)
Registration:https://forms.gle/AdCS4E6dnEmzRXGa9
Cost: $25 to $50 – (donation of your choice to Pop-Up Adventure Play, financial assistance available)
Before (Pre-Campference)
- We have seen that the greatest barrier to play is a sense of isolation. Meet, CONNECT and share excitement with your friends and colleagues. What are the bigger questions of practice that you’re grappling with?
- If you are feeling alone in your geographical area, or type of setting, let us know! We would love to MATCHMAKE play advocates who are craving new connection. What conversations or identities are you wanting community in?
- DOCUMENT your gathering somehow and send us the results along with a blog post and suggestions for one of four breakout rooms at the virtual conference. SEND your documentation and ideas to cstephens@bernheim.org. We will post them here.
- REGISTER for the virtual gathering on September 24th before September 10th 2021. The virtual gathering is limited to the first 100 registrants due to Zoom limits.
- HELP spread the word to your regional play champions.
The Virtual Campference – September 24th – 12 p.m.-2 p.m. (EST)
The first hour is Meet and Mingle, where we’ll welcome everyone (in Zoom-friendly ways) and discuss current and remarkable projects. We’ll be inviting individuals to share more specific content that we want to amplify (to nominate some for this, email us).
At the beginning of the second hour we will open four breakout rooms of approximately 25 people for a 30 minute reflection. These conversations will be themed in response to questions you raise. Here are some we’ve been thinking about: how does a playworker identify and intersect with gender, ethnicity, class, etc.? How can we engage parents and community members more effectively, and empathetically? What can play support look like in a pandemic? Each conversation will be gently facilitated, and then we will come back together. 
What else? All participants in the Campference will receive a real embroidered patch to commemorate this event. This patch comes with bragging rights, and is suitable for sewing on your jean jacket and showing off to friends and colleagues.
Registration:https://forms.gle/AdCS4E6dnEmzRXGa9e
‘But WAIT: That’s not all … We will do our best to hold space for each breakout group to meet again before the ‘Real Deal’ Play Campference in 2022 at Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest near Louisville, Kentucky
Dates: September, 2022
Location: Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest near Louisville, Kentucky, USA
Nearest Airport: Louisville Kentucky, USA
Here are some of the short segment presenters at Virtual Campference
Pop Up Adventure Play
Morgan Leichter-Saxby and Suzanna Law
Pop-Up Adventure Play began in 2010 with the intention of developing a holistic, low-cost and community-based approach to supporting children’s play. Based in the UK and the USA, their goal from the beginning was to create introductory models for people interested in rebuilding community around play. Today, they are proud to also offer ongoing support and bespoke training, and to be encouraging the growth of an international community of playwork students and practitioners in person and online. Morgan Leichter-Saxby (left) and Suzanna Law (right) are the glue that holds campference together. You will hear from them at the virtual campference.
Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest
Claude Stephens and Melissa Rue
Bernheim is a privately owned nature preserve over 16,000 acres in size that features native Kentucky ecosystems, art, trails, gardens, and play areas. Bernheim’s Children at Play Network has been working for more than ten years to knit together the regional community of play champions so that every child has a place in nature for play. They are fostering the next generation of environmental stewards by supporting play in nature. During the virtual campference you will hear from Melissa Rue and Claude Stephens. They will present about projects underway at Bernheim and a bit about what campferencers (is that a word) will experience at Bernheim in 2022.
Adventure Play at the Parish School
Jill Wood
Jill founded Adventure Play (at the Parish School) in 2008, and studied playwork both in the USA and UK, all while also serving as the school’s Librarian. In 2018, Jill co-wrote Adventures in Risk: Comparing risk of injury between an adventure playground and traditional playground, and provided a keynote address on Inclusive Playwork Practice (Campference 2019). She also delivers loose parts play sessions and pop-up adventure playgrounds in local hospitals, parks and nature preserves as Bayou City Play. Jill was one of the two keynote speakers at Playwork Campference 2019 held in Houston, Texas.
David Reeks and Renata Meirelles – documentary film makers
David and Renata have spent many years capturing the essence of play on film through their project The Territory of Play. They have dozens of short films, and one feature-length documentary The Territory of Play which broadcasts childhood at its best, straight to hearts anywhere. In their time at virtual campference they will look back at 20 years of observing, documenting, and promoting free play. They live in Brazil.
If you’d like to see they’re feature-length film for free, you only have to click “Watch Now” on the link below, sign up with an email on the Videocamp platform, confirm the email, and your in!
About Playwork Campference
The Playwork Campference aims to gather play advocates that are interested in playwork to form a supportive community of like-minded individuals. During this 4-day, 3-night camping conference, playful folk can participate in workshops, discussions and reflective sessions, which all happens in the shadow of an active adventurous play space.
2021 Participants Span the Planet
Previous Playwork Campferences
- Santa Clarita Valley Adventure Play, California (2017)
- Adventure Play at The Parish School, Houston, Texas (2019)
Check Back to this Blog Address – we will update information as we can.
PLEASE copy this blog post link and help us spread the word. Much obliged.