There Really is a Science to Play

The Play Science Institute is a mission-driven organization committed to sharing the science of play. Our mission is to:

  1. Offer training and professional development for early childhood educators and caregivers on the science of play.

  2. Conduct and disseminate research on how play impacts development, learning, and well-being.

  3. Advocate for children’s right to child-led free play and play pedagogy in early childhood classrooms.

Children playing in a sandbox area at a playground, surrounded by tire barriers, with trees and other playground equipment in the background.
Children playing on wooden structures in an outdoor playground surrounded by green trees.

Our vision is a world where all children have time, space, and permission to engage deeply in uninterrupted child-led free play. Play is the right of all children, and the principles of play science are known, respected, and used to support the growth and development of all children from birth to 10.

Denisha Jones, Founder & Chief Play Scientist

Close-up of a smiling woman with dark braided hair wearing a wide-brimmed hat, with a colorful informational poster in Chinese in the background. The woman is outdoors, sitting at a wooden table, and the photo captures her face from the nose up.

My name is Denisha Jones, and I am a play advocate, scholar, and researcher. I created the Play Science Institute to share the science of play with parents, educators, caregivers, and advocates. The science of play is the body of research on how play leads development, is learning, and fosters well-being. Despite the decades of study and numerous published research papers, the science of play remains hidden from parents, early childhood teachers, and policymakers. The Play Science Institute seeks to disseminate the science of play to ensure that all children experience childhoods filled with child-led free play!

Learn more about Who We Are

Services

  • Full- and half-day, in-person and virtual, workshops for early childhood educators, directors, and advocates.

  • Virtual and hybrid courses on the science of play.

  • Blogs, articles, and play stories that document the science of play.

Learn More About Play Science Institute Services

The Principles of Play Science

Play leads development

Children playing with large wooden building blocks outdoors at a courtyard area near a building with pink and white walls and a shaded tree overhead.

Play IS learning

Learn more about the Principles of Play Science

Play fosters well-being

A classroom or lecture hall filled with people watching a presentation on a large screen. The slide on the screen shows a child's drawing of people and some Japanese text. A child is pointing at the screen, and there is a projector mounted on the ceiling.
A group of young children sitting on a wooden bench, smiling and embracing each other, wearing hats and casual clothes in an outdoor area with a paved walkway and a grassy background.