Everyday Learning Play Spaces

Everyday Learning Play Spaces
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DECEMBER 15, 2021

By guest columnist Ileen Henderson 
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An Everyday Learning Play Space (ELPS) is just what it sounds like. It is a place to play every day and to find the joy of childhood and the connection to loved ones during the challenging time when a family is experiencing homelessness. The new three-year ELPS initiative, coming soon to 11 agencies involved in the project, is a collaboration between housing support agency People’s Emergency Center, Playful Learning Landscapes Action Network (PLLAN)TM and My Baby’s First Teacher.  

Staff and families will have a major role in planning and designing each play space to ensure it meets their interests and needs and provides a bright, beautiful space for children and families to gather. Based on the principles of Trauma Informed Care and Design and following in the footsteps of the original Philadelphia Bright Spaces, these new play spaces will bring play and literacy-rich activities to children and families in 11 shelters across the city. The spaces will also provide multiple opportunities to bring the community of shelter staff, families, and service providers together to support healthy child development and learning. 

Funded by the William Penn Foundation, the play spaces will be designed specifically to meet the needs of kids and families experiencing homelessness. The spaces will focus on facilitating play and adult-child interactions in a safe, supportive, engaging, and developmentally appropriate way. Children will find lots of fun activities and engaging materials, and programming will be provided to support caregivers in learning more about ways to facilitate their children’s development.  
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A team of early childhood advocates will bring together each agency and their resident community to dream, brainstorm, problem solve, and design their space. Trauma Informed design techniques will help us to create a physical environment that supports our family and child centered programming through enhancing protective factors, maintaining a sensitivity to trauma triggers and intentional parenting and staff education. 

Our understanding of the importance of the aesthetics of design will help us to create a space that our families staying in shelter will enjoy for many days to come and will grow and change as needed.

Anticipation and excitement are running high in Philadelphia these days as we begin this exciting project to bring healthy play environments to all of our deserving children. Stay tuned for updates and opportunities to learn more.