OVERVIEW

Parents, teachers, school districts, day care providers, librarians, pediatricians, speech and language therapists, policy makers, and others who work with children are concerned about current trends in our society that work against children’s better interests.  Rather than considering the “whole child” and the complex interplay between intellectual, emotional, social, and physical development, our society is more concerned with memorization than true achievement and with children knowing “facts” rather than becoming lifelong learners.  Yet what has made the United States great is our ability to rapidly adapt to changes in the marketplace as well as to create novel solutions to old problems.

Business leaders across the country tell us that to compete in the knowledge-based economy of the 21st Century children will need a different kind of training and education. They will need to master what we call the 6Cs (TM) of  collaboration (EQ, teamwork), communication ( speaking and listening), content (reading, math, arts and science), critical thinking (problem solving, analysis), creative innovation, and confidence (risk taking). Simply mending the worn knees and replacing the cuffs on our school system will not propel the future American workforce to success in a global economy.  It is time to start a national dialogue that asks how we re-imagine schools to meet the demands of the 21st Century world. Findings from years of scientific research in child development and learning science has much to offer in this new conversation. Our outreach efforts through Learning Landscapes and our overhaul of the Godfrey-Lee Public School System using the 6Cs (TM) demonstrate our continued commitment to education for a global world.

CONSULTING

Research:

• Board Member, Learning Research and Development Center (LRDC), University of Pittsburgh
• Board Member, Zero to Three
• Member of the National Academy of Education (NAEd)
• Governing Council Member of the Society for Research in Child Development with academic institutions such as the Language Research Center at Georgia State University and with students doing research around the world
• Consulting on National Agenda Issues with the government as
  • a participant in the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development
  • Consultant for the NIH Toolbox on language and literacy
  • Consultant for State of California Preschool Curricula in language and literacy
• Advisory Board, NCECDLT Research to Practice Consortium, National Head Start

Non-Profit:

• Fred Roger’s Center
• On the advisory board for the Alliance for Childhood
• Research Advisory Board for America’s Promise
• Advisory Board for Nickelodeon
• Advisory Board for CIVITAS
• Advisory Board for Ready to Learn, PBS
• Consulted with a number of Children’s Museums across America
• Advisory Board for Bay Area Discovery Museum
• Advisory Board for Chicago Children’s Museum
• Advisory Board for Children’s Museum of Manhattan
• Consulted with Amazon for the creation of Amazon Glow

Business:

• The Toy Industry
  • Fisher-Price
  • HIT Entertainment
  • K’Nex
  • Highlights
  • Crayola
  • Megabloks
• Media
  • Disney Junior
  • Sesame Workshop
  • Cartoon Network
  • Blue’s Clues
• Other
  • MindChamps
  • Amazon

RECENT INVITED PAPERS AND ADDRESSES

POPULAR PRESS

“Teaching in the way human brains learn: First results from Active Playful Learning” – Center for Universal Education Working Paper #193, the Brookings Institute, May 23, 2025 – “Education, especially in public or state schools, transforms societies. It promotes innovation and supports social mobility (e.g., Chetty et al. 2011; Hyman 2017, 268-270; Jackson and Mackevicius 2024, 422-427; Winthrop et al. 2013, 5, 13). Our current model of education helped move the United States (U.S.) and other countries into the Industrial Age (Darling-Hammond 2022, 54; Winthrop et al. 2017, 14). However, it is less effective at developing the skills needed for individuals to thrive in this Information Age and beyond.” READ MORE…

“Kids Being Advised to Stay Indoors Could Mark ‘Horrible Turn for Society’” – Newsweek, May 2, 2025 – “’Less outside time has other lasting impacts on children as well.’ Dr. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, a professor of psychology at Temple University and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institute, told Newsweek that it could lead to higher screentime for young kids. ‘Being indoors means less nature, it means less movement, and it means more time on screens,’ she said.”… READ MORE…

“Coming home to a foreign land” – The Philadelphia Inquirer, March 26, 2025 – Kathy’s editorial was published in the Philadelphia Inquirer: “For the past seven weeks, my academic sabbatical took me to Chile and Australia. In the normal course of things, seven weeks is not a long time. But times are not normal, and the country I left is vastly different from the one I returned home to. As a professor and scientist, I was quickly privy to a list of newly forbidden words. Terms like women, community, and diversity were declared out. Headlines suggest that language implying kindness, caring, friendship, family, and hope were replaced by those of revenge, cruelty, and hate. Stanford professor and social psychologist Philip Zimbardo warned us of the Lucifer Effect — times when situational contexts make good people act in evil ways. The U.S. climate today is ripe for spreading cruelty and indifference. Why are we not outraged that a U.S. citizen can be arrested with no warrant, or that the laws of the land can be flagrantly ignored? Have we become indifferent?” READ MORE…

“Renowned child psychologist Dr Kathy Hirsh-Pasek speaks on the value of guided play” – The Sector, March 19, 2025 – “Dr Kathy Hirsh-Pasek has a global reputation for her insights on child psychology and play based learning, recently visiting Australia for the first time to share her insights at a Western Sydney University.” READ MORE…

“Philly pilot program brings playful learning installations to affordable housing communities” – WHYY, February 7, 2025 – “The Live and Learn pilot program is installing playful learning spaces and activities at two affordable housing sites in North Philadelphia.” READ MORE…

Language Development, Learning, and  Play in Early Childhood – Screen Deep Podcast, January 8, 2025 – “Learning language involves much more than memorizing the ABCs. How do babies and toddlers acquire language and how can parents and caregivers foster its optimal development? On this episode of Screen Deep, host Kris Perry is joined by renowned child development researcher Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, PhD, to discuss children’s language development, learning, and play in the digital age. Dr. Hirsh-Pasek emphasizes the importance of social interaction in the development of language, and discusses how digital media typically lacks this critical aspect and may even interrupt the language-learning process. She also describes the key pillars of learning gleaned from decades of research and the effectiveness of guided play in achieving learning outcomes. Dr. Hirsh-Pasek provides listeners with key insights on choosing effective educational apps, as well as maximizing learning opportunities, and critical skills children must develop for the digital future.” LISTEN HERE..

“Where the science of learning meets the global learning challenge” in “Insights from the science of learning for education: leveraging scientific knowledge for innovations in teaching and learning” – UNESCO DOC – Can the science of learning offer new and exciting pathways to optimize education for all? You bet! Check out Kathy’s chapter in Unesco’s new volume.

“Putting Digital Media in Balance: The Importance of Human-to-Human Interaction for Young Children” in “Handbook of Children and Screens” – “Research suggests that parents and caregivers are concerned about their children’s increasing screen media use. While the focus to date has primarily been on the number of hours of screen media use and the educational content screens offer, the latest research suggests a more nuanced approach is needed that focuses on the impact of screen media use on human-to-human interaction. Here, we explore the latest science demonstrating that human-to-human, socially contingent, and responsive interactions underlie healthy physical, social, cognitive, and emotional development. We ask how children’s use of screens—especially without parents, caregivers, and peers—may impact the human-to-human interaction that our social brain requires. The impacts of caregivers’ use of digital technologies are also discussed. Finally, we suggest that co-viewing and joint media engagement may offer a path forward for families that is grounded in the reality of screen use but is also supported by the science of supportive, caring, and contingent relationships.” READ MORE…

“How Technology Can Give Our Talk Life” – Psychology Today, November 25, 2024 – “In a world saturated with technology, with connection a click away, we may well wonder: Why are so many adults and kids feeling anxious, withdrawn, or depressed? As Jonathan Haidt argues in his controversial 2024 book The Anxious Generation, children’s attention has shifted drastically to the virtual world. The effects are profound, and profoundly negative, especially for teenage girls. As Haidt puts it, many kids are experiencing a “tidal wave” of suffering….. This is where the work of researchers including Dr. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek comes in. Hirsh-Pasek and colleagues have shown the profound impact of environmental prompts on sparking meaningful conversations. Their research, involving simple prompts in grocery stores (like “Where does milk come from?”) and playful learning landscapes like “Parkopolis” and “Fraction Ball,” has shown how subtle changes to play spaces can ignite richer interactions and learning opportunities….” READ MORE…

“An SOS to the incoming administration for America’s children and families” – Brookings Institute, November 8, 2024 – “Children do not vote, so it is easy to deprioritize their needs. But adults in their families do, and many of them hope Donald Trump and the Republican party can reduce financial burdens so that they can comfortably raise children. President-elect Trump will now have a chance to push legislation through Congress that can lower prices for all Americans and especially working families. As he said during the debate, ‘people can’t go out and buy cereal or bacon or eggs or anything else.’” READ MORE…

“I’m an Only Child—Am I Really That Bad?” – PureWow, October 9, 2024 – “When you’re the only child, like me, you get a lot of attention, which according to the cliché I grew up hearing, makes you spoiled, selfish and sort of annoying. I’ve always just accepted that label, the way I accepted how my short legs don’t make me the fastest runner. But now that birth order theory is everywhere, prompting dialogue around how people parent, spend money and show affection (birth order love language, anyone?), I wonder—what if everything I thought I knew about being an only child was wrong? Also, since the birth rate in many countries including the U.S. is declining (though the number of single births has stayed steady), I wonder: Are all these only children like me a cause for alarm? I found a highly credentialed family psychologist, Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, to give me the latest learnings on the matter.” READ MORE…

 

“When will the United States walk the walk for young children and families?” – Brookings Institution Policy Brief, October 4, 2024 – “Our wavering commitment to children and families in terms of actionable, comprehensive policies that support children from birth to five years and their families leaves some wondering whether America really cares about its children despite the rhetoric. This policy brief points to six key areas of investment in which bipartisan action can bring America in line with other nations and make a marked difference in the lives of millions of young children 0-5 years and their families.” READ MORE…

Remaking Tomorrow: S7 Episode 3 Susan Magsamen, International Arts and Mind Lab – Susan Magsamen, director of the International Arts and Mind Lab at Johns Hopkins University and co-director of The NeuroArts Blueprint joins Ryan Rydzewski and guest host Kathy Hirsh-Pasek to talk about the importance of artistic practice in maintaining physical, mental, and social wellness for children and adults alike. Listen here: https://slbradio.org/podcast/s7-ep3-susan-magsamen-international-arts-and-mind-lab/

Remaking Tomorrow: S7 Episode 2 Michael Rich, Digital Wellness Lab – An interview with Michael Rich, pediatrician at Boston Children’s Hospital and director and founder of Boston Children’s Digital Wellness Lab joins Ryan Rydzewski and guest host Kathy Hirsh-Pasek to talk about his observations and recommendations for parents, caregivers, and children being challenged to live healthy, digitally-integrated lives. Listen here: https://slbradio.org/podcast/s7-ep2-michael-rich-digital-wellness-lab/

Remaking Tomorrow: S7 Episode 1 Roberta Golinkoff, University of Delaware – An interview on play with Roberta Golinkoff, author and University of Del H. Rodney Sharp chair and professor in the School of Education at the University of Delaware, joins Ryan Rydzewski and guest host Kathy Hirsh-Pasek to talk about her work in developing new approaches to learning based on the promising signs shown by the science of learning. Listen here: https://slbradio.org/podcast/s7-ep1-roberta-golinkoff-university-of-delaware/

“Is creativity a superpower in early education?” – EdSource, September 4, 2024 – “Singing the ABC song. Learning the days of the week from a nursery rhyme. Making a finger-painted collage of little handprints. Arts education has always been center stage in early education because little children are naturally creative, filled with wonder and the burning desire to express themselves. Arts and crafts not only help nurture a child’s natural imagination, they also boost small motor skills, sharpen hand-eye coordination and feed the insatiable need to play.” READ MORE….

“When Smartphones Get Smarter, Do We Get Dumber?” – Zero Hedge via Epoch Times, August 26, 2024 – “With 60 percent of the global population—and 97 percent of those under 30—using smartphones, technology has inadvertently become an extension of our thinking process. However, everything comes at a cost. Cognitive outsourcing, which involves relying on external systems to collect or process information, may increase one’s risk of cognitive decline….” READ MORE…

 

“Including young children with disabilities lights a path toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals” – Brookings Institute, July 24, 2024 – “Every child has a superpower. Yet, those with disabilities often do not have full access to quality education and other services that would enable them to use their superpower to positively and fully contribute to society. A recent workshop on inclusion in early childhood, held as part of the Center for Universal Education’s symposium on education systems transformation for and through inclusive education, asked whether focusing on the early years of a child’s life might offer a window of opportunity to catch, remedy, and maybe even reverse a child’s development trajectory so all countries can reach the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).” READ MORE…

 

“Active playful learning in the Global South” – Brookings Institute Commentary, July 18, 2024 – “As the global trend of schoolification pushes educational systems toward standardization, which emphasizes “preparation for school rather than preparation for life,” innovative approaches that address the how’s, what’s, and why’s of education are critically needed. This prevailing shift, intensifying in the late 90s, often sidelines essential skills like creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking, that are crucial for equipping young learners to tackle global challenges. It also overlooks learners’ well-being and joy—a rising concern in educational circles.” READ MORE…

“Why boredom can be great for kids” –  Phys.org, July 2, 2024 – “”I’m bored!” It’s a phrase parents and caregivers work tirelessly to avoid hearing, but it may be the gateway to unleashing a child’s creativity, social development and even life skills…” READ MORE….

“Joyful teaching and deeper learning in kindergarten” – BOLD, June 13, 2024 – “How play and learning came together in a professional development program in Ghana…” READ MORE….

“Taking play seriously” – BOLD, June 11, 2024 – “Have adults forgotten how to play? In 2023, a viral TikTok video asked adults a simple question: “Do you remember how to skip?” Many did not. In a recent survey of 25,000 children, across 36 countries, 73% reported that the adults in their lives did not take play – and how it can help children learn – seriously. Yet a large body of scientific evidence demonstrates that play offers children social-emotional, physical, and academic benefits. And the scant literature on play in adults suggests that in today’s world, as adults are plagued by climate crises, political polarization, and loneliness, play might help them achieve a sense of wellbeing.” READ MORE…

“Point/Counterpoint: Educators and Students Weigh in on ChatGPT” – Philadelphia Magazine, June 8, 2024 – “University-based instructors make the case for AI’s potential to level the educational playing field. Meanwhile, one Temple journalist argues that generative AI could defeat the purpose of education.” READ MORE…

“Mister Rogers’ Lessons for Young Learners (and Their Families, Too)” – Black Press USA, June 3, 2024 – “Modern science backs Mister Rogers up. Young people with families and caregivers who are actively engaged in their learning tend to do better in school, and not by a little: Students with engaged families are up to 81 percent more likely to graduate from high school and 95 percent more likely to report physical and mental well-being.” READ MORE…

“OPINION: It’s not just about tech and anxiety. What are kids learning?” – The Hechinger Report, May 28, 2024 – “Clouds of doom continue to hover over the debate about teens’ mental health and the role of technology. This spring, the warnings come from the bestselling book “The Anxious Generation” by sociologist Jonathan Haidt. Some parents and educators are calling for a ban on smartphones and laptops in schools. Others are trying to press pause on the panic by pointing to research that needs a longer look.” READ MORE…

“Why play is serious work for adults and children” – Commentary, Brookings Institute, May 2, 2024 – “Play, whether structured or unstructured, is often considered frivolous and not taken seriously. The role of play in children’s lives has long been devalued, prompting Professor Ed Zigler to claim in 2009 that “Play is under siege.” It is still under siege today. A global study across 36 countries indicates that 78% of children say adults do not always think playing is important. Further, 73% of children do not believe adults take play as a way to help them seriously.” READ MORE…

“Whatever Happened to Building a Metaverse for Education?” – Edsurge Podcast, April 16, 2024 – “…So what happened to the early education experiments in the metaverse, and what do those watching the space think is next? To find out, we checked in with two experts for this week’s EdSurge Podcast — the same folks we had on as guests two years ago at the height of the metaverse craze. Those guests are Greg Heiberger, associate dean for academics and student success at South Dakota State University and Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, a professor of psychology at Temple University and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.” READ and LISTEN HERE…

 “Play and Technology” – Podcast, Playgrounds to Pixels: Children in the Digital Tech Era, April 7, 2024 – “Today’s episode provides a fresh perspective from Dr. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek on the psychological impact of technology, especially on children. Dive deep into how children play and learn, and the ways technology is forever changing these interactions.” LISTEN HERE….

“How to Talk to Children About Cancer” – New York Times, March 22, 2024 – “Catherine, Princess of Wales, has been diagnosed with cancer and has started preventative chemotherapy. “It has been an incredibly tough couple of months for our entire family,” Catherine said in the video. She said that it has taken time to recover from surgery to start treatment for her cancer. “But, most importantly, it has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte and Louis in a way that is appropriate for them, and to reassure them that I am going to be OK,” she added. Conversations like those that Catherine has had with her children are among some of the more important and delicate discussions that parents can have, according to Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, a professor of psychology at Temple University and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution…” READ MORE….

“Play for All Ages: Designing Intergenerational Spaces That Build Connections and Encourage Learning” – Webinar, Generations United, March 7, 2024 – Generations United hosted a webinar on March 7, 2024, on how to develop joyful intergenerational spaces that foster playful learning, creativity, and meaningful cross-age connections. Watch the Webinar HERE….

“Is mental health still misconstrued on screen? Psychology goes to Hollywood to dispel stigma” – Monitor on Psychology, American Psychological Association, March 1, 2024 – “While pop culture representations of mental illness, marginalized communities, and human behavior have improved over the past few decades, more work is needed to destigmatize psychological conditions in all populations and showcase healthy ways to seek help…” READ MORE

“Supermarket Shuffle, Babies and Screen Time, HBCU Cheyney Fights Back” – WHYY, February 28, 2024 – “Scroll, swipe, tap…young children are exposed to new technology from an early age, and staying current in a digital society is increasingly important. However, excessive screen time, may be linked to developmental issues like autism and ADHD…” Listen HERE

“Following the science to end the reading wars: A false dichotomy won’t help Johnny read” – Brookings Institute, December 7, 2023 – “Two out of every three students in the United States are not proficient readers. This was the headline that ricocheted across the United States in 2022 and 2023 following the release of the latest National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) results. Just 33% of fourth graders met or exceeded proficiency on a test of their reading skills, while 37% of fourth graders performed below the basic level on the same assessment. Recognizing that NAEP proficiency is not equivalent to grade-level proficiency but a higher standard, most fourth graders still struggled with deeper critical thinking about texts.” READ MORE…

“S5 Ep7: Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, Temple University” –  Remaking Tomorrow Podcast, November 14, 2023 – Kathy joined the podcast “Remaking of Tomorrow” to discuss the importance of empowering communities to make public spaces into playful learning spaces. LISTEN HERE…

“Episode 266: Why we learn best through play, with Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, PhD” – Speaking of Psychology, APA Podcast, December 13, 2023 – “Playtime isn’t just for fun—psychologists who study children’s learning have found that kids learn best through play. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, PhD, of Temple University, talks about why kids need playtime, what playful learning looks like in a classroom, how technology is changing children’s play, why adults need recess too, and what parents can do to encourage more play in their kids’ lives.” LISTEN HERE…

“Smart toys pose potential risk with the data they gather” – WAAY TV, December 7, 2023 – “Artificial intelligence enabled smart toys may be improperly collecting and storing children’s information, according to the U.S. Public Interest Research Group.Temple University’s Paul R. Anderson Distinguished Chair Professor of Statistics, Operations and Data Science Subodha Kumar says many AI-enabled toys collect audio and video data.” READ MORE…

“At these Philadelphia child care centers, learning and fun are inseparable” – Chalkbeat, December 6, 2023 – “Children at six Bright Horizons child care centers in the Philadelphia area have some new playground equipment: Interactive stations designed to promote learning while having fun. Temple University researchers aim to measure how the “playful learning stations,” all designed with input from staff and community members, help the preschoolers learn skills like communication and pattern recognition.” READ MORE…

“I Was Trying to Build My Son’s Resilience, Not Scar Him for Life” – New York Times, October 31, 2023 – “Resilience is a popular term in modern psychology that, put simply, refers to the ability to recover and move on from adverse events, failure or change…. ‘I think a lot of kids are really cautious — maybe overcautious — today,’ said Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, a developmental psychologist at Temple University, an expert in play and author of ‘Becoming Brilliant: What Science Tells Us About Raising Successful Children.’ ‘We live in a society that tells us pretty consistently that if we don’t do well, we are failures.’” READ MORE…

“Fantasy Is a Valuable Educational Tool. Just Look at ‘Barbie’” – Education Week, October 13, 2023 – “Deena Weisberg is an associate professor of psychological and brain sciences at Villanova University and a fellow of the Learning Sciences Exchange. She studies imagination and science learning in young children and adults. Her recent book is Constructing Science: Connecting Causal Reasoning to Scientific Thinking in Young Children (The MIT Press, 2022). Kathy Hirsh-Pasek is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and a professor of psychology at Temple University. She has written many bestselling books on various aspects of child development and education, including the New York Times bestseller Becoming Brilliant: What Science Tells Us About Raising Successful Children (APA LifeTools, 2016) and Making Schools Work (Teachers College Press, 2022).” READ MORE…

“Millions of people are watching dolls play online. What is going on?” – USA Today, October 4, 2023 – “…Millions of people are visiting #dolltiktok and specific TikTok accounts that feature all kinds of doll-centric storylines – from NSFW Sylvanian figurines to Barbie re-enactments of iconic scenes from pop culture. It’s coinciding with a phenomenon called “kidulting,” where toy companies are actively marketing dolls to adults.” READ MORE….

“Forever young: The rise of the ‘kidults’” – Connecticut Public Radio/ WNPR, August 14, 2023 – Who would have guessed that 25% of the toy market goes to adults buying kid toys for adults. It’s a new trend – kidadults? Check out this podcast where Kathy discusses “kidults” HERE…

“Temple leads study to reimagine elementary school” – Axios Philadelphia, July 24, 2023 – “Temple professor Kathy Hirsh-Pasek sees an educational crisis in the U.S. that saps joy out of learning and turns students into rote memorizers.” READ MORE…

“Scientists Sprinkle ‘Playful Learning’ Stations in Cities Around the World” – Newsweek Magazine, July 19, 2023 – “Over the course of her career, Temple University’s Kathy Hirsh-Pasek has spent a lot of time worrying not just about how to increase playtime in school, but also how to reach kids outside of school. As a psychologist, she knows well the many scientific studies that show the importance of play to learning and child development. But her best idea, she says, came to her on one lazy Sunday morning while lying in bed. She wondered if it might be possible to build playful learning environments outside of school in ordinary places like supermarkets and bus stations.” READ MORE…

“Do You Play Enough? Science Says It’s Critical to Your Health and Well-Being” – Newsweek Magazine, July 19, 2023 – “Neuroscientists, educators and psychologists like Kathy Hirsh-Pasek know that play is as an essential ingredient in the lives of adults as well as children. A weighty and growing body of evidence—spanning evolutionary biology, neuroscience and developmental psychology—has in recent years confirmed the centrality of play to human life. Not only is it a crucial part of childhood development and learning but it is also a means for young and old alike to connect with others and a potent way of supercharging creativity and engagement. Play is so fundamental that neglecting it poses a significant health risk.” READ MORE…

“An addendum to the surgeon general’s advisory on social media” – Brookings Institute Commentary, July 18, 2023 – “A recent advisory from the U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy warned of the risks of social media usage for youth’s mental health—including sleep deprivation, depression and anxiety. The data that led to this warning comes largely from research linking social media use to outcomes in adolescence. While this is an important and welcome step toward regulating social media, the report also exposes a gap in the literature. Though the data are scant, children under the age of 10 are also actively using social media platforms. They too are engaged in a large natural experiment with relatively unknown consequences.” READ MORE…

“From Bus Stops to Laundromats, Cities Embrace Play to Help Kids Learn” – The 74, July 6, 2023 – “On a tiny triangular lot in the city’s Belmont neighborhood, kids waiting with their parents for the No. 40 bus can also work on their executive functioning skills, playing a hopscotch variation designed to train their brains. In Chicago, a wooden game mounted on the wall of a laundromat teaches children, in two languages, how to find color patterns in a lineup of detergent bottle tops.” READ MORE…

“Let’s bring back the simple joys of playful parenting” – The Genius of Play, June 2023 – “Almost 400 million search results appear when you search parenting books. Parenting apps? Nearly 200 million. Parenting blogs? 53 million. There are, quite literally, millions of outlets telling us how we HAVE to parent our children. It is exhausting. More importantly, it is also unnecessary. The truth is that amidst the chores you do and the errands you run lies everything you need to give your child a well-balanced play and learning diet.” READ MORE…

“Can We Make Schools Work Better? The Science Says Yes!” – Webinar Recording, Teachers College Press, June 12, 2023 – Check out Kathy’s Webinar which is for educational policy leaders, school administrators, teachers, learning scientists, and parents. The webinar cuts through the noise about what’s wrong with schools and talks instead about what we can do right. Kathy and her co-authors present the theory and playful learning principles behind their new book, Making Schools Work. WATCH HERE..

“Forever young: The rise of the ‘kidults’” – Connecticut Public Radio, June 9, 2023 –  “Toys are occasionally marketed to “children of all ages.” In recent years, market research has shown the number of toy-buyers over 12 years old is growing.The demographic, sometimes called “kidults,” now comprises a quarter of the annual toy retail market, and an impressive 60% of the market’s growth in the last year, according to market research company NPD Group.” READ MORE…

“Temple’s Kathy Hirsh-Pasek awarded nearly $20 million from the LEGO Foundation” – Temple Now, June 2, 2023 – “The grant will enable the director of Temple’s Infant and Child Lab to implement her Active Playful Learning model—an evidence-based pedagogical approach to joyful deeper learning—for grades K through four in four states: California, Illinois, Texas and Virginia.” READ MORE…

“SMU Simmons School team to analyze ‘Learning Through Play’” – North Texas E-News, May 25, 2023 – “MU’s Center on Research and Evaluation (CORE) in the Simmons School of Education and Human Development will join Temple University and seven other universities in a “Learning through Play” national study. The LEGO Foundation has awarded a $19.98 million grant to fund the longitudinal study. SMU’s Center on Research and Evaluation (CORE) at Simmons will be the Dallas site lead for the national study and will receive $2.8 million over 5 years to conduct the work locally.” READ MORE…

“Playful learning makes for joyful parenting” – Bold, May 11, 2023 – “All parents want the best for their children. And there is no shortage of advice on parenting, which has become a multibillion-dollar industry with investors capitalizing on parents’ innate desire to support their children. The notion that there is a “perfect” way to raise children can be found in blogs, TikToks, books, and apps, causing anxiety for many parents.” READ MORE…

“Forever young: The rise of the ‘kidults’” – Connecticut Public Radio/WNPR, May 5, 2023 – “Toys are occasionally marketed to “children of all ages.” In recent years, market research has shown the number of toy-buyers over 12 years old is growing. The demographic, sometimes called “kidults,” now comprises a quarter of the annual toy retail market, and an impressive 60% of the market’s growth in the last year, according to market research company NPD Group. Dr. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, a professor of psychology at Temple University, discusses why familiar toys might appeal to us today, and the links between how we played as children and how we socialize now.” READ MORE…

“How AI Can Accelerate Students’ Holistic Development and Make Teaching More Fulfilling” -World Economic Forum, May 1, 2023 – “With the rapidly accelerating integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in our work, life, and classrooms, educators all over the world are re-evaluating the purpose of education in light of these outsized implications. At Teach For All and the LEGO Foundation, we see the potential of AI to accelerate the long overdue transformation of education systems towards inclusive learning that will prepare young people to thrive and shape a better future.” READ MORE….

“Children’s Museums Are Growing Intellectually and Emotionally” – New York Times, April 26, 2023 – This piece in NYT featured the importance of Children’s Museums and the various ways in which they are growing. READ MORE…

“ChatGPT: AI That Gives You a Break From the Routine or Takes Your Job Away? – April 18, 2023, Houston Press – “Many days of the week, John Smith in his job as an administrative assistant to a college faculty member, will look up the professor’s availability to set up daily appointments. This is one of the more tedious small tasks he does that keeps Smith away from handling more important or rewarding assignments. Some scientists are touting a solution to this saying Smith could be freed from these routine duties with the latest extension of artificial intelligence called ChatGPT. This Artificial Intelligence program rapidly runs through any number of databases to come up with written answers to queries or in Smith’s case, could expedite his time spent arranging meetings.” READ MORE….

“Teaching in the Ways Kindergartners Learn Best” – New America, March 31, 2023 – “Kindergarten is an important year for children and their families. For some, it is their first experience in formal education. Some children may be away from their parents or caregiver for the first time. For those who attended an early childhood program, whether in a center, family childcare home, or with a care provider in the neighborhood, kindergarten may look and feel different than their previous experiences. While kindergarten is the first universal education access point for children, they bring diverse experiences and strengths to the classroom.” READ MORE…

“ChatGPT: Ushering in the Age of Creativity” – March 28, 2023, the European Business Review – “ChatGPT is a game-changer. The AI bot released in November1 writes sonnets like Shakespeare2 and lyrics in the style of the Beatles,3 all in a matter of seconds. And each can be carefully tailored to a user’s unique needs with incredible specificity. Imagine what it can do for journalists investigating a story, physicians seeking a diagnosis, and those who write manuals for products – let alone for students writing papers…” READ MORE….

“How to use ChatGPT as a learning tool” – March 27, 2023, American Psychological Association – “As technology advances, psychologists can find new opportunities to innovate in the field and in education. But the introduction of new technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI)—the simulation of human intelligence by computers—can feel daunting. For psychology instructors in particular, the advent of a rapidly evolving AI software called ChatGPT (and the updated version, GPT-4) has introduced new challenges—but experts say it’s also ripe with potential to help students learn in new ways and prepare them for careers after college…” READ MORE…

“48 best gifts and toys for 4-year-olds in 2023, according to experts” – March 29, 2023, the New York Post – “4-year-olds truly have minds of their own. They may be in preschool, have an intrinsic curiosity surrounding them with every move they make and — we’ll bet — adore toys, toys, and lots of them. Much like 3-year-olds and even 2-year-olds, they’re constantly on the move and likely have a toy collection growing by the month…” READ MORE…

“The AI Boom & ChatGPT” – Randi Zuckerman Means Business Podcast, January 25, 2023 – “Artificial Intelligence is booming, particularly the text-generator ChatGPT! On this episode, Randi and her guests discuss why everyone is talking about ChatGPT and why it matters.” LISTEN HERE…

“Education meets the universe: The promise and the worry” – CoSN’s Emerging Technologies Committee, January 19th, 2023 – Everyone is talking about the metaverse. Its diverse applications include gaming, real estate and entertainment among others. Few are addressing how this relatively new technology might impact education for good or for bad. The metaverse can bring us to new worlds that would rarely or never be personally explored – from ancient Greece, to underwater adventures, to outer space….

“Children’s Play Time Is a Key to Early Learning” – Bucksco Today, December 16, 2022 – “Children’s play should be seen as an essential vehicle for learning and early education, not a distraction from it, say early childhood experts. That’s the message delivered at a webinar on the importance of play hosted by The Hunt Institute and Trust for Learning, writes Kara Arundel for K-12DIVE…” READ MORE…

“Jackie Mader: Play important to children of all ages, part of learning; schools should maximize benefits” – Northern Kentucky Tribute, November 26, 2022 – “In 1966, when psychiatrist Dr. Stuart Brown was assigned to a commission to investigate what led University of Texas student Charles Whitman to kill 12 people in one of the country’s first mass shootings, Brown and his colleagues considered many different aspects of Whitman’s background. The student had access to firearms at home; he had witnessed abuse while growing up; and he had a difficult relationship with his father.” READ MORE…

“Want resilient and well-adjusted kids? Let them play” – KQED, November 14, 2022 – “Experts say such play time should not just happen outside of school or at recess, but should be a necessary part of teaching and learning. Supporting the most beneficial play activities, however, can take training and planning. Play should be looked at as a way to learn within schools, said Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, a professor of psychology at Temple University and senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. Hirsh-Pasek sees play as a spectrum of activity, ranging from free play, where “adults should just get out of the way,” to direct instruction, where adults set the agenda.” READ MORE…

“Future of Learning” – Hechinger Report Newsletter, October 26, 2022 – “Sometime in the past year or two, you’ve likely heard the word “metaverse.” It’s the future, the next big frontier of the internet, if you ask technology CEOs or researchers.” READ MORE…

“Fostering community and measuring impact: What’s working in playful learning cities” – Brookings Institute, October 12, 2022 – “More than half of the world’s children are growing up in cities. Yet, children and families are often invisible to urban planners, developers, and architects when implementing policies and practices that shape the built environment. Playful Learning Landscapes (PLL) is a culturally adaptable and sustainable approach for creating more child-friendly cities by augmenting opportunities for play, learning, and healthy development in the public realm.” WATCH HERE…

“The Classroom: Face-to-Face vs. Virtual vs. Mataverse” – Institute for the Future of Education, October 3, 2022 –“I have been fortunate to be a teacher at different educational levels, from preschool to higher education, and for teacher training. Advising and exchanging knowledge became my passion. Today’s teachers have learned psychology to understand students, didactics to facilitate knowledge, neuroscience to understand the brain, game theories, and narrative to attract and seduce human curiosity…” READ MORE…

“Edtech Series: Education in the Metaverse” – the Global Herald, September 2, 2022 – Kathy joins Emily Chang to discuss the potential of the metaverse for education, the importance of making sure it is safe and why it needs to be rolled out in an equitable way… WATCH HERE

“6 Reasons Why Your Kids Need Guided Play” – Psychology Today, August 26, 2022- “’Play’ is critically important, and different types of play matter in different ways. Most research on play, historically, has been focused on free play. As the name implies, free play is characterized by children initiating and freely driving the play experience, with minimal or no adult involvement…” READ MORE…

“3 Top Takeaways from the Hunt Institute Webinar: Ideal Learning Environments” – Early Learning Nation, August 24, 2022 – “On Tuesday, August 3, The Hunt Institute’s Dan Wuori and Trust for Learning’s Ellen Roche cohosted a webinar spotlighting the role of play in ideal learning environments. “Play is a vehicle for learning rather than a distraction from it,” Wuori stated…” READ MORE…

“Want to close the word gap? Focus on talk” – TES Magazine, August 11th, 2022 – “Schools are full of talk; in every classroom, it’s a vital learning tool. But because it’s ingrained in our lessons, and teachers are great at enabling talk, it is not usually considered necessary for staff to timetable it specifically. And yet, talk is the key to success in life.” READ MORE…

“Unstructured, longer play time called key to early learning” – K-12 Dive, August 5, 2022 – “It takes work to learn how to play. That’s the message early childhood experts delivered Wednesday during a webinar on the importance of play in early education settings, hosted by The Hunt Institute and Trust for Learning. Rather than viewing children’s play as a distraction from learning, it should be viewed as an essential vehicle for learning, the speakers said.” READ MORE…

“Creating Ideal Learning Environments Through Play” – the Hunt Institute, August 3, 2022 – “Play is an essential element of young children’s learning. Join The Hunt Institute and Trust for Learning for a special edition of the Early Efforts web series spotlighting the role of play in ideal learning environments.” WATCH HERE….

“Where Does Education Fit in an Emerging Metaverse?” – EdSurge Podcast, June 28, 2022 – “It’s the latest sign that Big Tech sees education as a key piece of the rush to build a metaverse, the immersive Internet of Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality… This technology raises lots of exciting possibilities and some tough challenges, for both K12 classrooms and college classrooms of the future. And to help us sort through this emerging space, we invited two guests to the podcast who have seen more of this VR space than most and are thinking through these issues….” LISTEN HERE….

“What Could the Metaverse Mean for Higher Education?” – Diverse Issues in Higher Education, June 9, 2022 – “Meta, the parent company of Facebook, made waves last fall when it announced the so-called metaverse. In a few years, this metaverse could be interoperable networks of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) that blend physical and digital spaces. The technology is not quite there yet, but VR and AR uses have already been entering some higher education classrooms, raising questions about both their major potential and challenges.” READ MORE…

“Sharpen your little one’s curious mind with these age-appropriate activities” – News24, June 8, 2022 – Research on the educational benefits of play is nothing new; however, findings have been mainly focused on Early Childhood Development because of how important the early years are for a young developing brain. “Children’s free play contains the roots of mathematical learning 46% of the time,” according to Kathy Hirsh-Pasek…” READ MORE….

“The Parental Role in Play”- The Good Men Project, June 4, 2022 – “The way that children begin to understand themselves and the world around them is mediated through play. The value of play is in the way that children learn to navigate their world. The benefits are far reaching. For example, self-regulation learned through play helps with social relationships, academics, and at work.” READ MORE…

“Funding High-Quality Child Care Is A Popular Idea, So Treat It Like One, Researcher Says” – EdSurge, June 1, 2022 – “Researcher Kathy Hirsch-Pasek has a challenge she would like to see lawmakers in the U.S. Congress take on—call it a dare. She wants all 535 of them to spend a day taking the lead in an early childhood classroom. Just one day would be enough to show the folks in Congress how difficult and important the work is, says Hirsch-Pasek, a psychology professor at Temple University and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution…” READ MORE…

“Five ways to help your kids learn through play” – the Citizen, May 24, 2022 – “There are many life skills that can be taught through play. Here are five ways in which you can teach your child important life lessons while having fun.” READ MORE…

“YOU, YOUR KIDS & SCHOOL: The dangers of distracted parenting” – Litchfield Independent Review, May 11, 2022 – “I had a hard truth delivered to me this week, and it came at the hands of a pint-sized human at the ripe age of 6 years old. This child, with her wide-eyed innocence, told me that her dad liked playing video games more than he liked playing with her, and that it made her sad.” READ MORE….

“Study: VR better than video for student performance, engagement” – K-12 Dive, May 9, 2022 – “Young said he wasn’t surprised by the study’s findings, adding they show VR and the metaverse can be helpful tools in education. “I think it is very hopeful. Of course, it’s a very expensive technology still, so the downside is that you don’t want to exacerbate inequities,” he said.” READ MORE…

“Stimulating STEM in the city: Co-designing with Latine families to promote informal STEM learning” – 2022 STEM for All Video Showcase, May 10, 2022 – A long history of research suggests that early informal STEM learning experiences such as block play, puzzles, visiting zoos and science museums can build a strong foundation for STEM learning and which leads to later STEM success…” Watch the VIDEO HERE

“What Is the Metaverse’s Future in K-12 and Higher Ed?” – Government Technology, May 6, 2022 –  Virtual and augmented reality tools are gaining traction in both K-12 and higher-ed institutions, but experts say more planning and collaboration are needed to make the content practical and useful…

“Communities find new shared learning opportunities in the time of COVID” – Bold, May 2, 2022 – “Learning can happen anywhere. That’s the philosophy behind the Playful Learning Landscapes project, which studies and creates educational activities for public spaces. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced us to rethink shared spaces and community activities, as we face new challenges – but also new opportunities – for playful learning…”

“The way out of poverty: Governments must invest in families and children” – The Lab Report, Public Policy Lab, Temple University – Check out Temple University’s College of Liberal Arts Public Policy Lab’s Lab Report (Issue 2), titled “Child poverty in America: Where do we go from here?” and Kathy’s section titled “The way out of poverty: Governments must invest in families and children”.

“Should schools invest in the metaverse?” – K-12 Dive, March 30, 2022 – “Pondering the potential of the metaverse in educational spaces, Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, a psychology professor at Temple University and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, imagines infinite possibilities for learning opportunities. ‘It will enable us to visit places we’ve never visited before,’ Hirsh-Pasek said. ‘To learn French while we’re sitting in a French cafe. To go visit places in South Africa that we might have only heard about or seen on a Google map. Imagine if you could jump into the Google map. Imagine if you could go back and forth on a timeline and now really go back to the future.’” READ MORE…

RECENT BLOG POSTS

1. Brookings Institute: “More babies, but less support for families? How ironic.” –Commentary. May 20, 2025.
2. Brookings Institute: “What does ‘high-quality instruction’ look like?” Commentary. May 14, 2025.
3. Brookings Institute: “Apprenticeships can supercharge career opportunities for youth.” Commentary. January 24, 2025.
4. Brookings Institute: “Human-focused education: Advancing broader purposes of education through the science of learning.” Commentary. January 22, 2025.
5. Brookings Institute: “We all need a little more recess.” Commentary. January 17, 2025.
6. Brookings Institute: “An SOS to the incoming administration for America’s children and families.” Commentary. November 8, 2024.
7. Brookings Institute: “Including young children with disabilities lights a path toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.” Commentary. July 24, 2024.
8. Brookings Institute: “Active playful learning in the Global South.” Commentary. July 18, 2024.
9. BOLD: “Joyful teaching and deeper learning in kindergarten: How play and learning came together in a professional development program in Ghana.” June 13, 2024.
10. BOLD: “Taking play seriously.” June 11, 2024.
11. Brookings Institute: “Why play is serious work for adults and children.” Commentary. May 2, 2024.
12. Brookings Institute: “Following the science to end the reading wars: A false dichotomy won’t help Johnny read.” Education Plus Development. December 7, 2023.
13. Brookings Institute: “Tracking the winds of change on the American education policy landscape: The emergence of play-based learning legislation and its implications for the classroom.” October 9, 2023.
14. Brookings Institute: “Combating the summer slide: The city as a (learning) playground.” September 27, 2023.
15. Brookings Institute: “What ChatGPT can’t do: Educating for curiosity and creativity.” August 22, 2023.
16. Brookings Institute: “Sparking creativity and addressing wicked problems via the new LSX model of collaboration.” April 18, 2023.
17. Brookings Institute: “ChatGPT: Educational friend or foe?” January 9, 2023.
18. Brookings Institute: “Why Jonny can’t read: The great disconnect between reading science and policy.” December 19, 2022.
19. Brookings Institute: “Limited family support policies create a powder keg for our nation’s future.” November 29, 2022.
20. Brookings Institute: “Let’s educate tomorrow’s voters: Democracy depends on it.” November 21, 2022
21. Brookings Institute: “An obituary for education—or not?” November 8, 2022.
22. Brookings Institute: “Reading with a caregiver trumps reading an e-book alone.” October 12, 2022.
23. Brookings Institute: “Supporting children post-Roe: An urgent call for social infrastructure.” July 19, 2022.
24. Brookings Institute: “Making pre-K work: Lessons from the Tennessee study.” February 28, 2022.
25. Brookings Institute: “Educating children to make the invisible, visible.” February 23, 2022.
26. Brookings Institute: “A little cash goes a long way to support early childhood and development.” January 25, 2022.
27. Brookings Institute: “Global education trends and research to follow in 2022.” January 24, 2022.

Hosted Podcasts

Hirsh-Pasek, K. (Guest Host) & Rydzewski, R. (2024, October 17). Remaking Tomorrow: S7 Episode 7 Susan Neuman, New York State University. [Audio podcast]. Retrieved from https://slbradio.org/podcast/s7-ep7-susan-b-neuman-new-york-university/

Hirsh-Pasek, K. (Guest Host) & Rydzewski, R. (2024, October 3). Remaking Tomorrow: S7 Episode 5 Jodi Mindell, Sleep Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. [Audio podcast]. Retrieved from https://slbradio.org/podcast/s7-ep5-jodi-mindell-phd-psychologist-researcher/

Hirsh-Pasek, K. (Guest Host) & Rydzewski, R. (2024, September 19). Remaking  Tomorrow: S7 Episode 3 Susan Magsamen, International Arts and Mind Lab. [Audio podcast]. Retrieved from https://slbradio.org/podcast/s7-ep3-susan-magsamen-international-arts-and-mind-lab/

Hirsh-Pasek, K. (Guest Host) & Rydzewski, R. (2024, September 12). Remaking Tomorrow: S7 Episode 2 Michael Rich, Digital Wellness Lab. [Audio podcast]. Retrieved from https://slbradio.org/podcast/s7-ep2-michael-rich-digital-wellness-lab/

Hirsh-Pasek, K. (Guest Host) & Rydzewski, R. (2024, September 5). Remaking Tomorrow: S7 Episode 1 Roberta Golinkoff, University of Delaware. [Audio podcast]. Retrieved from https://slbradio.org/podcast/s7-ep1-roberta-golinkoff-university-of-delaware/

 

The Ultimate Playbook: Co-Design in Action

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Kathy is a co-founder of The Ultimate Playbook℠   ​ inviting teachers, coaches, school and district leaders to join as a district to confidently co-design effective and equitable educational communities through the power of play and learning science.

The first step in The Ultimate Playbook design is getting to know what makes your community unique, and understanding your goals for students and teachers. For more information, visit our website https://www.theultimateplaybook.org/.