VOTE for Play!: The Making of Our Early Childhood and Play Summit
By: Kara Mackey | Assistant Superintendent of Special Facilities and Recreation
When we decided to venture into the world of early childhood play at Bellaboo’s Play and Discovery Center, we quickly realized that while play is our business, we had a lot to learn—specifically, how to manage a high-quality early learning environment that adapts to the evolving practices in early childhood education. Our biggest takeaways were twofold: 1) Everything is “figure-out-able” (thanks, Marie Forleo!), and 2) Don’t reinvent the wheel—partner with experts and let them guide you.
In 2025, the internet offers us endless resources, from case studies to well-managed children’s museums. But the most valuable resource we found was the willingness of local experts to offer their help. These experts were eager to support us in providing the best possible experience for the children and families who visit Bellaboo’s. Early childhood people are like park people in that they quickly reveal themselves to be generous with information that has the potential to make life better for others. Through what we researched and learned from our partners, we were able to successfully create an environment focused on imaginative, whole-body, safe risk, and child-led free play. And, furthermore learn how to tailor our programs to our youngest citizens.
None of this would have been possible without the expertise of Linda Curley from the Lake County Purdue Extension and Dr. Mary Jane Eisenhauer of First Things First Porter County. Their mentorship was invaluable not just for our staff but for the broader parks and education communities. As we recognized the impact their knowledge could have on park directors, educators, and children across Indiana, we felt a responsibility to bring these experts together for something bigger. In the summer of 2024, we decided to organize the Early Childhood and Play Summit. With the support of Indiana Parks & Recreation Association (IPRA) and a resounding “YES” from our partners, we set the stage for an event that would bring together park professionals, library programmers, homeschool parents, science educators, and others to learn from the best. In keeping with the spirit of the election year, our rallying cry became "VOTE for Play!"
The summit featured a wide range of educational sessions led by experts who understand the unique challenges and opportunities faced by parks and early childhood environments. Among the speakers were Andy Howard from Hitchcock Design Group, Jennifer Lundin and LeAndra Rivera from Spark Learning Labs, Carl Kurek from Lakeshore Public Media, the Crown Point Community Library’s director, Julie Wendorf and Caryn Corriere, our own Lake County Ecologist.
As the organizer, my role was to ensure the sessions aligned with our diverse group of attendees. It was a pleasure to witness how all of our presenters framed their expertise in ways that resonated with (mostly!) non-traditional early childhood educators. Early learning should start at home and be supported by various spaces beyond schools and childcare centers. This summit served as specialized training for those of us working in parks and other spaces often outside of the traditional early education sector. (Though there was plenty to learn about play in nature for our preschool, daycare and elementary education guests, as well!)
One of the highlights of the summit was the "Lunch and Learn" session led by Mary Jane and Linda. They envisioned it as a high-energy, inspiring experience designed to motivate participants to not just learn about Early Childhood and Play, but to become passionate advocates for both. The session was lively, with attendees creating slogans, cheers, and signs to promote the power of play. The atmosphere was electric, and participants left with a renewed sense of purpose. As Mary Jane and Linda so eloquently put it
"The freedom to play contributes to a child’s overall wellness, fosters curiosity and joy, and supports positive mental and physical health. Play also helps develop critical life skills such as problem-solving, compromise, collaboration, conflict resolution, and empathy. It encourages decision-making, motivation, observation, and fosters spontaneous ideas."
The result? Everyone benefitted. Our presenters stretched and reframed their knowledge to be inclusive of parks and other non-standard learning environments. While those who attended not only got to discover the myriad ways, they can help partner to support young children, but had fresh eyes and ears to discuss their ideas and challenges with. It was a gift to be able to provide a specialized training that not only benefited IPRA partners, but by extension Indiana’s youngest residents. Now, as we move forward, we invite you to join us in championing the power of play. Let's work together to create environments that nurture children’s growth and learning, one play session at a time.
Make your voice heard—VOTE for Play! (Also, reach out to Kara if you are an Early Childhood and/or Play expert who is interested in joining us for the 2025 summit: karam@lakecountyparks.com)