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Mark your calendars, and join us in San Antonio, TX, October 6-9 as the American Association for Promoting the Child’s Right to Play-IPAUSA comes together for the “Right to Play…RIGHT NOW!”
The USA continues to be the last nation to not ratify Article 31. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn, share, connect, and continue to advocate for the Child’s Right to Play.
Let’s get together face to face!
This four-day conference will focus on advocating for the need to play, play equity, nature play, and the importance of play as a restorative practice following traumatic events. We all need that! Together we will work to all leave with action steps to advocate for play, address play equity, design remarkable outdoor play environments, and revive our inner child through restorative and playful field trips.
Let’s reclaim our JOY!
This conference is going to be held in San Antonio, Texas on October 6-9, 2022, and will be a space for unity and inspiration that reflects the audience it serves and the restorative environment needed to ignite play advocacy and action. Yes! This means there will be a rhythm of speakers, presenters, and intentional activities to restore the inner child in all of us as we lean into the ebb and flow of exuberant learning and joyful relaxation. Ahhhhh!
Over these four days, you can look forward to:
- Welcome and Classic Conference Day 1 at the University of the Incarnate Word (UIW), followed by Evening Exploration and Welcome Reception at The DoSeum
- Classic Conference Day 2 at UIW, followed by an evening enjoying play in nature, plus reception, at the San Antonio Botanical Gardens.
- Day 3 gets you out of the conference room and out into San Antonio! Four different tour options, each with transportation, lunch, and visits to two play-focused locations in the San Antonio area, fill your day with play and learning. Keep the party going afterward with BBQ and a Hoe-down, catered by Texas favorite, Pinkerton’s! (Optional event, ticket required.)
- The Unconference and Play Festival at UIW! Also available is a very unique way to start your day – with a Beastly Breakfast! (Breakfast optional, overlaps Unconference, ticket required.)
The theme of the conference is Right to Play, RIGHT NOW!
Children need the social, physical, mental, and emotional benefits of play now more than ever. So what is happening RIGHT NOW? What are the challenges to play right now? What are the success stories? What is research telling us right now? What can we do together RIGHT NOW to take play to the next level?? Speakers and sessions at this conference will be invited to present on the following themes in an engaging and interactive manner:
- Play + Advocacy/ Tools for Change
- Nature Play
- Research
- Playwork
- Social Justice / Play Equity- UNCRC
- Child-friendly Cities
- Play Provision/COVID Play
- Play Design
- Action Steps for implementation
- Improvisation – creative and innovative presentations
Possible Online Options
Given the tumultuous period of unprecedented events we are enduring during this global pandemic, we are giving constant consideration to having online or on-demand options should conditions concerning travel and fellowship not be conducive to in-person events during the time of this conference. Should these options come to light, we will notify presenters and attendees.
Questions?