Play is the primary way children were designed to learn.
– Kathy Hirsh-Pasek and Roberta Golinkoff

“Childhood is no longer the sanctuary it once was, and child-led play is no longer recognized as the cornerstone of healthy growth. Instead, play is often viewed as a mere respite from learning rather than the biological necessity it truly is, on par with food, shelter, and safety,” declared Deb Lawrence, President of the International Play Association USA in the introduction to a white paper on the importance of play.

More organizations, researchers and educators are realizing the crisis of academic push-down that is robbing children of their right to play, which should be the fundamental building block of learning in the early years.

On December 5, 2025, from 12-4 EST, Exchange will bring together a powerful group of prominent voices in the early care and education field for an interactive online conference, Protecting Play. Thanks to generous sponsors who deeply believe in this topic, we are able to offer this impactful experience free of charge. We urge you to register today to secure your spot.

The conference speakers have all contributed articles for the Winter issue of Exchange magazine, a special, larger issue that will serve as an important tool to share with staff, families, college students, administrators and policy makers. Some of the speakers and authors include: Stacy Benge; Heather Bernt-Santy; Mike Browne; Iris Chin Ponte and Lisa Kuh; Carol Garboden Murray; Stephanie Goloway; Kimberlee Hendrix; Mike Huber; Kisa Marx; Michele Pullen; Dean Tagawa, Ranae Amezquita and Kirsten Haugen; members of the Bridging Research and Practice Advisory Group; along with many others.

Pre-order the print version of the Winter issue now so you’ll have this valuable resource to refer to often.