The Genius of Play Sees Uptick in Website Traffic as Parents Seek Resources for At-Home Play & Learning

April 6, 2020 | As more families take shelter in their homes as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, The Genius of Play’s new resources are offering parents, teachers, and children some extra support and comfort during these uncertain times.

“Right now, every day can feel like a challenge, and for kids, this situation can be extra scary and overwhelming,” said Ken Seiter, executive vice president of marketing communications at The Toy Association. “As more parents find themselves sheltering in place with their kids and taking on the new role of teacher in addition to working from home, our hope is that The Genius of Play’s newly launched learning resources and expert content are making it just a little easier for families to adjust to this new normal.”

Created to aid parents and kids cooped up at home as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, these new resources have led to a major uptick in traffic to the website. Visits to www.TheGeniusofPlay.org in the past two weeks alone surged 64 percent over the usual monthly average.

Much of this boost can be attributed to the launch of a new learning at-home resources page, a new PSA encouraging play at all ages, new coloring and activity pages, and multiple new pieces of content from experts in child development.

The site’s learning at-home resource page continues to be updated regularly with new content – much of which has been contributed by Toy Association members – and covers topics such as explaining COVID-19 to kids and STEM learning. It also offers other learning at-home activities to keep kids busy and meet their interests, including sections such as free games and activities, ideas for animal lovers, art-based activities, activities to get moving, virtual tours, and more. The page has also been featured on Mattel’s Play Room.