From Our Sponsor: Phipps Helps Families Understand the Importance of Play

Play is a fundamental part of children’s learning. It is important to encourage play and make it as interactive as possible!

Let’s Move Pittsburgh, a program of Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, is offering the 5-2-1-0 Speaker Series to help parents, caregivers and community partners interface with children’s health experts on topics related to child health. 5-2-1-0 is a movement to reinforce four healthy lifestyle choices: 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables, 2 hours or less of recreational screen time, 1 hour or more of physical activity, and 0 sugary drinks and more water — every day!

Participation in the series is free and open to the public. The fifth installment of the popular series, called “Make Playtime Count,” takes place at the Center for Sustainable Landscapes on Thurs., July 13 from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. This educational session will explain the importance of play and offer strategies for adding healthy activities into playtime.

Leading the presentation for the July installment is Dr. Roberta Schomberg of Carlow University. “For this session, we reached out to a seasoned content expert and hope to have an open discussion with participants about play and why it is so important for our children,” says Ashlee Cubarney, program assistant of Let’s Move Pittsburgh. “We hope that this series has had a positive effect on our participants and has given them a lot to think about!”

Dr. Roberta Schomburg is a professor emerita at Carlow University, where she taught for 25 years and was associate dean and director of the School of Education for 10 years. During that time, she taught early childhood graduate courses, including a course on understanding children’s play. Roberta is a senior fellow at the Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children’s Media and a consultant for the Fred Rogers Company, where she is an advisor for the PBS award-winning television program Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood. She is past vice-president of the governing board for the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and a board member of the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh. She has presented nationally on the topic of children’s play and has published several articles on the value of play in early childhood and beyond.

Before and after the presentations, participants also will have the chance to speak with Let’s Move Pittsburgh Champion Schools which have been awarded grants for implementing healthy school programs, talk to UPMC Health Coaches, meet representatives from the Pittsburgh Playful Collaborative and browse helpful resources from community partners. These networking opportunities will provide caregivers and community partners with new connections and resources for promoting healthy lifestyles.

Interested in attending but need childcare? A free health education session is available for young children ages 2 – 8 while you attend the Speaker Series. For both the speaker series session and childcare, advance registration is required and space is limited. Click here to register today.

Let’s Move Pittsburgh’s 5-2-1-0 Speaker Series is made possible with support from UPMC Health Plan, the Hillman Foundation and The Heinz Endowments.