It is 9:00 pm on Friday, January 24th and the production crew has wrapped up the final day of filming at Brooklyn Children’s Museum in New York City. This completes phase one – three months of filming, two cities and three locations. Although exhausted, the production crew is pleased with their work and they have two months before traveling overseas for more.
This film documentary project began in 2005, when Bright Day was formed, and crystallized shortly thereafter when David Krishock, Co-Founder of Bright Day began researching the where and why of better educated youngsters around the globe. At that point Mr. Krishock, a serious advocate of play based learning, decided his story had to be told in order to expedite a revolution in preschool education, a reinvention using the principles of play based learning as a foundation.
“Sorry if this sounds like an alarm bell ringing, but it is, the time is now, educators and parents are key in fueling a broad scale reinvention of early childhood development. Play based learning is quite possibly the best way for a young mind and body to grow,” states Krishock. “Our children are far too important to be relegated to an antiquated baby-sitter system. Play is the way forward,” he continues.
Bright Day began studying play based learning years ago, and began piecing together their global film project partners to assist in telling this story. These play to learn believers and innovators are located in some of the worlds top countries – partners practicing in Denmark, Japan, South Korea, England, and the United States. In the USA, where filming just wrapped, the project partners include Columbia University Teachers College, and their Hollingworth Preschool, The Brooklyn Children’s Museum, and Bay Area Discovery Museum’s, The Discovery School, outside San Francisco.
These organizations practice the principles of play based learning – which includes a child focused, child directed approach, employing theme and project based learning. Using themes chosen by children holds their interest and ongoing engagement, allowing for a natural learning process. In employing these methods there are valuable benefits for children including – enhancing communication and collaboration, improving self-expression and creativity, generating curiosity, employing experimentation, questioning and problem solving, building of self-esteem and confidence. The cognitive development resulting from play based learning helps children acquire a better conceptual understanding of math, science, reading, writing, and use of technology, better preparing them for elementary school.
From New York this film crew travels to Asia this spring to work with film project partners in Tokyo, Japan and Seoul, South Korea. This summer the crew heads to Europe, working with two partners in England and Denmark. “Without the support of our partners, without their knowledge and practice of play based learning, we would not have proof that play works best for developing young minds and bodies,” says Krishock.
The filming of this documentary will be complete in 2020, and ready for global distribution in 2021. “The sooner we can share our message, and highly engage educators and parents, the sooner we can unite our efforts to reinvent and improve. Bright Day is wholly committed to changing the system of preschool education globally – one preschool at a time,” says Krishock
In addition to Bright Day Foundation producing its film documentary, it is completing work on its play based preschool curriculum to be launched in 2020. Also, the Bright Day Big Block cooperative https://brightdaybigblocks.com is launching several new learn while you play block products this year. “Our film documentary creates awareness, while our curriculum and blocks create practice – its is our goal to provide play solutions for educators, parents and children from all directions,” says Krishock.
But, on this evening, late in January – the production crew is ecstatic over successfully capturing on film hundreds of joyful children at play – and resting up for the international phase of the documentary that promises to change the world – one preschool at a time.
About Bright Day Foundation
Bright Day Foundation is a not for profit, 501(c)(3) charitable organization whose mission is to help educators and parents better understand the importance of play in the development of preschool children. The Foundation accomplishes its goal by creating, producing and distributing instructional content for adults, as well as fun, learning based tools for children. Founded in 2005, the Foundation has helped millions of children build stronger minds and bodies, enabling their positive contribution to our society.
To learn more about Bright Day Foundation visit: http://www.brightdayfoundation.org
About Bright Day Big Blocks
Bright Day Big Blocks is a fun, new and unique play system designed to transform children’s minds and bodies through creative, child directed play. Bright Day offers big soft play blocks and builds play space environments that peak a child’s curiosity, unlocks creativity, inspires collaboration, and builds self-esteem and confidence. These blocks encourage play that builds cognitive, physical, emotional, and social skills important in the development of all children. Bright Day Big Blocks can be found around the world, in schools, playgrounds, libraries, hospitals, airports, restaurants, hotels and resorts, public parks, camps, and almost anywhere you find children playing.