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鈥淗ave a belief in yourself that is bigger than anyone’s disbelief,鈥� said August Wilson, playwright of the great Pittsburgh Cycle. The statement could serve as a motto for the city as a whole, known for its grit and, in recent years, for as a metropolis with a creative and innovative postindustrial future.

Wilson (1945-2005) is also the namesake of one of the city鈥檚 165 parks, which have proved to be vital 鈥渓ungs鈥� during the COVID pandemic鈥攑laces where families with young children can go and be together in (almost) any weather.

Collaboration drives Pittsburgh鈥檚 thriving early-childhood ecosystem. Gregg Behr, executive director of the Grable Foundation, says, 鈥淚 view our entire community as one big campus, a genuine learning network.鈥� Decades of investment in families, parents and caregivers built resilience and may have cushioned the blow of the pandemic. As in many cities, he notes, the past year has affected different families differently. 鈥淓xperience is hyperlocal,鈥� he says. 鈥淪ome families are doing better than others.鈥�

Although many programs have had to be suspended or postponed, playful learning remains alive and well in Pittsburgh. According to Jen Schnakenberg, assistant director of education at Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy’s Frick Environmental Center, connecting children to nature through play builds gross and fine motor skills and sparks 鈥渦nconstrained imaginative freedom.鈥� Unlike traditional playgrounds with equipment bolted to the ground, this mode derives from 鈥淟oose Parts Play鈥濃�攁 concept originated by British architect Simon Nicholson, , 鈥淚n any environment, both the degree of inventiveness and creativity, and the possibility of discovery, are directly proportional to the number and kind of variables in it.鈥� Schnakenberg and her colleagues also encourage children to use sticks and any other handy play materials in their own creative ways.

encourage children and families to take advantage of their local green spaces. Pediatricians, other health care professionals at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, and staff at the that operate primarily in low-income neighborhoods, issue these prescriptions, which experts endorse as a way of addressing obesity, depression, ADHD and other conditions that disproportionately affect young children of color.

鈥淎 child might see the doctor once a year,鈥� says Kathryn Hunninen, senior manager of special initiatives at the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy. 鈥淭eachers, school nurses and other professionals interact with children more frequently and get to know them and their families.鈥� She says that more than 1,600 prescriptions have been issued so far in doctor鈥檚 offices and over 5,000 people have interacted with the program in community settings since 2016. While it鈥檚 difficult to track the compliance rate, the program is an important way to remind families that the heading outdoors is a part of staying healthy.

Hunninen always feels gratified when families discover nature in their community, whether it鈥檚 down the block or a quick bus ride away. One of her favorite trips was to a nearby state park for hiking and swimming. Another fond memory took place on 鈥渁 gorgeous, 60-degree day in November鈥� when families went on a Story Walk, which involves posting enlarged, laminated pages of children鈥檚 books along a trail, to encourage both exercise and literacy.

鈥淭he children were wearing their little masks,鈥� she recalls. 鈥淎nd they were having so much fun they wouldn鈥檛 go home.鈥�

Behr is looking forward to this May. The series, which comprises virtual, in-person and hybrid coding, inventing and play activities, started in 2016 and now reaches beyond its Pittsburgh origins. Chicago, Oregon, San Diego and the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia metropolitan area are all set to participate.

鈥淭here鈥檚 something for every family,鈥� he promises.

This story originally published on Early Learning Nation and is now archived on 蜜桃影视. Learn more here.