Family Play Days

Neighborhood North is excited to bring a fun workshop for all ages, from grandparents to toddlers and everyone in between. A series of 5 Interactive Workshops led by Dr. Ariana Brazier from ATL Parent Lab that connects play, race, culture, and literacy.

Intergenerational Play Days  - Families encouraged to attend together!

These events are FREE and a meal is included for all participants.  Space is limited; Advance registration required

All sessions: Thursdays, 4:30 pm - 7 pm 

Session 1: November 18th- The Parent LAB PLAY DAY Series engages participants in interactive games designed to connect the active body to brain development, and thus enhance cognitive learning experiences.

Session 2: December 9th- This dialogue, facilitated through and between physically interactive play activities, will center the value and necessity of play, broadly, at the different ages and stages of students in k-12 education.

Session 3: January 13th- This informative and interactive workshop highlights the various ways that Black children, particularly Black children living in poverty, play.

Session 4: February 10th- We will reflect and explore how play has connected families across generations, cultures, and economic barriers. 

Session 5: March 10th- Together, through participant-facilitated dialogue and movement, we will practice the sharing of culture and exchanging of knowledge through play and critical inquiry.

Participants will learn: 

·        How race and racism informs our play experiences and identity development 

·        Establish foundational knowledge about the educational and cultural value of integrating play into daily interactions with the families in our community 

·        Reigniting the joy of play as adults and as adults with children

·        Generating a commitment to promoting play as an avenue to celebrate, learn, and be in relationships with one another across all spectrums of life  

Ariana Brazier, Ph.D. is a play-driven community-organizer and educator. She received her doctoral degree in English, Critical & Cultural Studies from the University of Pittsburgh. Ari has conducted community-based ethnographic research with Black students and families living in poverty in the southeast United States in order to document how Black child play functions as a grassroots praxis. She is the Founder, CEO and President of ATL Parent Like A Boss, Inc. (Parent LAB).

Julia Brazier is a (retired) mentor for Auburn University Family Child Care Partnerships and has served in this capacity for 11 years. She has 30+ years of experience as an early care/education professional, 2 of which were spent as a family child care provider. Julia has 14 years of experience in administrative positions serving, training, and mentoring family child care providers. She also served as the director of child care programs at the Bessemer YMCA for 5 years. Julia is the ATL Parent Like A Boss, Inc. (Parent LAB) Board Chairwoman.