The Genius of Play Celebrates 5 Years of Promoting Play’s Benefits

genius-of-playJune 22, 2020 | Since launching five years ago, The Genius of Play has become a leading resource for families, caregivers, and educators and has reached millions with research and facts that support the critical importance of play in child development.

“The Genius of Play has helped educate parents and caregivers about the value of incorporating play not only into their children’s daily lives but into their own lives as well,” said Ken Seiter, executive vice president of marketing communications at The Toy Association, which runs The Genius of Play. “In just five short years, the initiative has continually proven that play is a powerful tool to help foster creativity, boost kids’ interest in learning, and keep our minds sharp and engaged at any age.”

Program highlights since launch include:

  • Delivered more than $55 million in donated media value through four unique public service announcements (PSAs): Worldwide Headquarters of Play, Prescription for Play, Dear Parents, and That’s The Genius of Play.
  • Generated more than 7 billion impressions and 55 million engagements from traditional and social media, PSAs, and paid media. Media coverage has included top-tier publications and parenting blogs such as the New York Post, USA Today, Romper, Good Housekeeping, Fatherly, Medium, Vox, and more.
  • Launched the first-ever awareness month for play, Play All May. In its inaugural year, the month-long campaign earned more than 540 million total media impressions and #PlayAllMay reached 5 million people across social media.
  • Reached new audiences through partnerships and activations with leading educational and parenting organizations, including BlogHer, the Smithsonian, Scholastic, National Afterschool Association, and Scary Mommy, and retailers such as Learning Express and Kings supermarkets.
  • Expanded the panel of experts on The Genius of Play website from 15 in the first year to more than 50 today, incorporating perspectives from diverse fields including pediatricians, occupational therapists, and special needs.
  • Increased annual visits to The Genius of Play website by 285 percent from 2016 to 2019. The site has already seen a 74 percent surge in traffic this year over last year, thanks in part to a continual rollout of new learning and play resources and activities for families navigating the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Presented at leading conferences on play and education, including CES’s Family Tech Summit, Shanghai International STEAM Educational Expo, the International Play Association World Conference, and those run by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Genius of Play experts also led a discussion on Capitol Hill.

“These results are evidence that our research, robust play resources, and thoughtful communications resonate with audiences on a global scale,” said Seiter. “As we continue to further elevate play’s role in learning and its contribution to overall health, we encourage member companies to refer to The Genius of Play for their own play initiatives.”

The Genius of Play is a national movement spearheaded by The Toy Association to raise awareness about play’s critical role in child development and encourage more play in children’s lives. The Genius of Play website offers expert advice from play and child experts ranging from child psychologists to play community activists, play ideas, and play-inspired resources for teachers. Follow The Genius of Play on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.