PLAYtime’s summer camp partnership with United Way of Erie County was featured in their latest newsletter, the Weekly INBrief. Read an excerpt from their message below!
Bringing Literacy to Life Through Summer Fun
Each Tuesday this summer, families from United Way Community Schools and the surrounding area gather at the Ada Lawrence Community Room at the former Wayne Middle School (ECAT Building) for “PLAYtime in your Neighborhood,” a 90-minute summer camp experience led by our partners at PLAYtime with Erie Playhouse. But this camp isn’t just about fun and games — it’s about building early literacy in joyful, meaningful ways.
When school is out for summer, many children, especially those from under-resourced communities, risk falling behind academically. This phenomenon, known as the summer slide, can result in the loss of critical literacy skills. PLAYtime in your Neighborhood helps combat that by providing rich, interactive learning opportunities during the summer months, keeping kids engaged and learning through play.
From silly songs to storytelling, crafts to creative play, PLAYtime in your Neighborhood gives children the chance to explore language, follow directions, ask questions, and express themselves — all critical building blocks of early literacy. Caregivers participate alongside their children, reinforcing those same skills and strengthening the adult-child bond that is so essential to learning.
PLAYtime in Your Neighborhood is free to all community members, thanks to United Way funding and the Erie Playhouse. In the summertime, it can be harder for kids to stay engaged with reading and learning than in the school year. That’s why we’re grateful to Ms. Trish and her commitment to interactive education in our community to help combat the summer slide!
