Have you started seeing encouraging notes, pictures or jokes on your sidewalks? Social distancing is keeping us apart, but we can still encourage our neighbors and bring a smile to their faces by leaving our mark! We're joining Chambanamoms, Urbana Arts & Culture Program and Museum of the Grand Prairie to bring you Chalk Your Walk Chambana events every Friday! Don't worry, you can do it any day you feel like it too! Hear Kelsey talk about it on WCIA3 News here! ing messages

We're joining together with Chambanamoms, Urbana Public Arts & Museum of the Grand Prairie to bring another fun community play initiative: a teddy bear scavenger hunt on World Bear Day! All you do is put your teddy bear in the window (or a drawing!) and then, while practicing safe social distancing, walk around your neighborhood trying to spot as many bears as possible! Full event here!

My most recent PechaKucha talk is all about play which, as I've come to know it, is transformative for us all. PK's are a unique presentation tool used all around the globe to tell stories and share projects or ideas using 20 slides and only 20 seconds per slide. As we navigate this unprecedented time amid a global pandemic, play might feel too simple to pursue. It might feel like cleaning the closet, suddenly being tasked with putting together your kids' education or figuri

Last spring, when our community saw tornadoes, we saw children playing out that theme inside our sandbox, creating their version of swirling chaos and squashing constructed homes before starting over to do it again. Recently, as our University of Illinois basketball team was on a roll, we saw children playing out that theme by having multiple basketball games happening at once that included more kids suddenly interested in trying basketball. When parents divorce or get a new

UPDATE: As of 4pm on March 13, Illinois Governor Pritzker closed all public and private schools through March 30th. We are tremendously proud to have been ahead of this decision, seeing clearly through our careful Playwork practice that this was the right call to make on March 12. We are glad our communities and families will remain safe and encourage social distancing practiced as solidarity spacing. More from us soon. ORIGINAL: 3/12/20 6:00pm: At KOOP, safety and best prac