WAYNE, NJ, 2016-Apr-25 — /EPR Retail News/ — To spotlight the impact that even 10 minutes of play per day can have on a child in need, as well as our recent #PlayWithPurpose fundraising and awareness campaign, we launched a web series that takes an intimate look at Save the Children’s early childhood development programs and the children’s and families’ lives they enrich through providing unstructured playtime.
But First, A Little Bit About Our Partnership…
Save the Children is the leading nonprofit working to ensure every U.S. child is healthy, safe and learning. Together, we embarked on a mission to provide some of the 15.5 million youth living in impoverished regions of the country with opportunities and resources to integrate purposeful play into their everyday lives; a factor proven critical in children’s emotional, physical and cognitive development and future growth. During the company’s recent in-store and online fundraising campaign, more than $1 million was raised to help Save the Children bring learning through play to kids in need.
The four video vignettes featured below highlight the importance of play has on the lives of children living in poverty. Watch as these little boys and girls unlock key developmental skills, find confidence and enhance their imagination – the building blocks to success – and of course, their faces as they light up at the joy and wonder of play.
Paula
In this first vignette, viewers get a glimpse into the life of Paula, a mother of two who has experienced a number of hardships, including homelessness, which contributed to her daughters exhibiting anger issues. They fought frequently, kicked and screamed at one another, pushing Paula to reach her breaking point. With the help of Hollie, a Save the Children home visitor, Paula has seen the monumental effect that the daily integration of basic play has had on her children’s behavioral issues. Hollie has shown Paula how to use play to foster patience and teach the girls to take turns, while having fun together. Paula credits Save the Children with turning her household around and giving her a chance to be the caring, engaged mom she wants to be.
Mona
Meet Mona, a young mother who lost her first baby girl after a nearly year-long struggle to get her a lifesaving medical treatment. When her second daughter Annabelle was born soon after, Mona was still grieving and having difficulty bonding with her. With the help of Sheila, a Save the Children home visitor, Mona was able to focus on Annabelle and bring play into the life of the now one-year-old. The mother-child bond that play helped build was instrumental in both Anabelle’s early development and Mona’s healing process. Mona even found a creative way to incorporate the memory of the sister Anabelle never met into their playtime.
Autaevea
This third vignette features Autaevea, a mom in South Carolina who wants the best for her kids, despite some steep economic challenges. Sheila, a Save the Children home visitor, shows Autaevea and other struggling parents that they don’t need money to give their kids the best gift of all – playtime. See how Sheila provides parents with the knowledge to use everyday household objects to help their babies and toddlers develop, explore and have lots of fun – all while building a foundation for a lifetime of learning.
Alicia
In this video vignette, a dynamic after school program helps once-struggling kids thrive through play. Like most children in the U.S. who live in poverty, the students from the Lake Quinault-area of rural Washington State are at high-risk of falling behind in school. Watch how local Save the Children program leaders like Alicia help children succeed by making learning fun. And, children such as fifth-grader Ozrick not only catch up, they begin to realize their dreams of a brighter future.
You can learn more about why a daily dose of #PlayWithPurpose is so important early in a child’s life with our Save the Children infograms. Check them out!
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