Gloucester Education Foundation to Host First Ever Power of Play Festival

     Photo Martin DelVecchio

The Gloucester Education Foundation will host its first Power of Play Festival from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 20 at the Gloucester High School fieldhouse, 32 Leslie O. Johnson Road. The festival, open to families and children of all ages, will feature games, art projects, dance, sports and other activities to celebrate the importance of play in educating children.

“Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning but for children, play is serious learning,” said Fred Rogers, the late children’s educator and longtime host of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.” “Play is really the work of childhood.”

The Power of Play Festival will feature giant building blocks; tiny, 3-D house- and boat-building; Lego-building challenges; sensory play tables with water, sand and goop; giant floor puzzles; collaborative art projects; taekwondo and yoga; puppet workshops and shows; and an obstacle course.

The event is sponsored by Cape Ann Savings Bank and Cape Ann Savings Trust & Financial Services. Admission is $5 per family.

“Play teaches children how to solve problems, communicate with others, and think creatively — skills that will serve them their whole lives,” said June Steel, president of the Gloucester Education Foundation board of directors. “That’s the real Power of Play. The Gloucester Education Foundation recognizes that children’s education is about more than memorizing facts and preparing for tests. We’re committed to improving our children’s education inside and outside the classroom.”

The Gloucester Education Foundation was created to help drive innovation and encourage creativity in the Gloucester Public Schools and empower educators to strengthen teaching and learning. The foundation’s goal is to help the Gloucester Public School District be one of the best school districts in Massachusetts.