Play not only propels social-emotional growth, research shows, but can also build cognitive skills and improve behavior. In Pittsburgh, there are many efforts underway to make playing a possibility for all kids in the region.

With elementary schools nationwide adapting their curricula to jibe with the Common Core, some parents and teachers argue that the littlest learners should be better prepared for the academic standards they will soon be required to meet. Others counter that increasingly structured schooling makes it even more important for younger kids to have some time […]

Today's parents are more worried than ever before about playground injuries and stranger abductions. But experts say these fears may be unfounded and can rob kids of needed opportunities to take risks and to grow.

Although kids are playing less on their own than they did decades ago, experts and educators know play is essential for children’s development. The Playful Pittsburgh Collaborative is working to educate decision makers on the critical importance of play and turn parents, city officials, and even business owners into play advocates.

How the arts, along with STEM subjects, make the mind “fertile for future learning.”

This holiday season, spark a lifelong love of STEM learning with gifts that give the kids in your lives a chance to tinker: a visit to the MAKESHOP, a roll of duct tape, a mini circuitry kit, and much more.

With guidance from Fred Rogers, early childhood educators in Pittsburgh are putting today’s technologies into classrooms in ways that make sense for young learners.

Everyone knows exercise improves kids’ health, but research shows it can also promote academic achievement.

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher A.J. Burnett better watch out—young Pittsburgh makers have built a worthy competitor.

Making math concepts click with students is more important today than ever before. We take a look at innovations in teaching mathematics for today’s younger learners.

For kids participating in Maker Camp, summer camp is about to get an update: creating robotic birds, chilling with NASA astronauts, and getting dramatically fewer mosquito bites. But some say kids still need time in the summer to unplug.

Author, Suzie Boss, write about the necessary changes that must be made to the idea of a traditional learning environment, for 21st century learners.

The maker movement is more than just a trend; it is a revival of the heart and soul of the American dream where everyone has the potential to push the boundaries of the imagination and create something that has never been done before.

Seema Patel and Patrick Mittereder joined K+C Network members today for a luncheon of learning at The Children's Home & Lemieux Family Center to discuss information from the Sandbox Summit

BBC News writer, Jane Wakefield, discusses children's use of smart devices in her online article.

Fisher-Price recently announced its new product, the Laugh & Learn Apptivity Case, available for iPads, iPhones, and iPods. This case serves as a protection against toddler damange, while doubling as a teething toy. “At Fisher-Price, ‘we bring babies in with their moms and watch them at play with different types of apps, different types of […]

iQ KidsRadio announces support of the Junior League of Pittsburgh. Developed through the partnership of WQEDand SLB Radio Productions, iQ KidsRadio serves the purpose of providing a content driven radio station to educate youth and their parents alike.

The Electronic Arts’ Headquarters in Redwood City, CA announces the establishment of an unprecedented research and development facility. This facility, the Games, Learning, and Assessment Lab (GLASS Lab), will be managed by the Institute of Play. GLASS Lab is exploring the potential for digital games to serve both as potent learning environments and as real-time […]

Abby Mendelson writes about Nina Marie Barbuto and the learning parties at Assemble, where people come to have fun and learn-by-doing, in the Pittsburgh City Paper.

The Fred Rogers Center at Saint Vincent College hosted the 2012 FredForward conference Sunday, June 3rd to Tuesday, June 5th.

If you've made a promise to yourself, or to your kids, to attend more Pittsburgh events and have more summer learning fun this season, the Pittsburgh International Children's Festival is a great place to start.

While it's easy to compare grades to see which students are falling behind in math class, creativity is a harder thing to measure.

Recently, LEGO KidsFest came to Pittsburgh. If you couldn’t make it to the gathering, you can catch up on the fun by watching Play Unplugged’s coverage of the event. Play Unplugged is a new Pittsburgh-based blog that focuses on offline gaming. “Play Unplugged’s primary missions are to provide in depth product reviews (allowing gamers to […]