Playtime’s trauma-informed play programs welcome children, from toddlers to teens, into our playrooms. Over time, we have seen so many children grow from bright-eyed little kids into confident, creative adolescents – and we want Playtime to grow with them. Our older kids have expressed the importance of having time with peers their age; when all ages are together, a lot of attention falls on the younger kids. That’s when older children often step in to help, rather than playing themselves. Playtime's older kids deserve programming tailored to their interests and developmental needs.
Playtime+, our new program for middle and high school students, is specially designed to strengthen one's sense of self, activate a growth mindset, and encourage creative problem solving. Playtime+ operates like our typical play programs, ensuring that our preteens and teens still get the chance to release, relax, and just be kids, while expanding their worldview through:
Reflection: bridging what we do in the playroom to their outside lives
Mentorship: fostering meaningful, trusting relationships with adults
Project-based work: leading activities that build on each other weekly to hone skills, like goal setting
Special guests: offering field trips, college tours, and guest workshops that meet their interests
This summer, Playtime offered four weeks of free summer camp for children experiencing housing insecurity in DC and Prince George’s County, with two weeks of camp in each region. Each week of camp was designed for a specific age range, allowing for smaller cohorts and activities aligned with children's developmental needs. This age-differentiated approach strengthened engagement and deepened impact through age-appropriate programming, nutritious meals, and accessible camp locations right where families live. Attending daily camp provided children with consistent resilience-building activities that focus on our three domains: social-emotional learning, creative problem solving, and optimism for the future.
By tailoring programming by age group, younger children (ages 5-9) received deeper, more intentional support around social-emotional learning, rather than activities designed to engage a wide age range. For younger kids, Playtime brought children to the National Zoo and welcomed Ms. Naoko, a dedicated and long-time volunteer, as an origami teacher. Older youth (ages 10-15) participated in more learning-based opportunities that emphasized problem solving, leadership, and building optimism for the future. Our older kids heard from Dr. Butler at Georgetown University, who shared his journey from growing up in Chicago to becoming a Harvard and Yale graduate. We also invited older teens (ages 16-17) to attend camp as “Play Rangers in Training,” an opportunity to take on more responsibility and practice their leadership skills in a junior counselor role.
Playtime+ has launched at one site in DC and one site in Prince George's County, and we look forward to hosting more age-specific programming in the new year.
