Join us for our 14th Annual Day of Play Family Festival, which will take place Saturday, September 13 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Elm Park in Worcester. Our community celebration offers musical performances, art projects, book readings, hands-on experiments, and much more. We can't wait to play with you — read on for full details about our festival.
Celebrate the Joy of Learning at Our Day of Play Family Festival
Our Day of Play features more than 60 interactive activities that link the joy of playing to the joy of learning. These include children's activities across the following themed areas:
Active Physical
Check out our Imagination Playground, crawl, climb, and hop through our obstacle course, and enjoy other activities to use energy, develop gross and fine motor skills, learn new things, and socialize.
Construction
Design a rocket ship, fort, or tower, visit our tot-sized neighborhood, and reap the benefits of other construction activities that promote hand-eye coordination and vocabulary development.
Creative Arts
Make a crown, join a drum circle, and let your creative juices flow freely as you share your ideas, thoughts, and feelings creatively.
Health & Wellness
Practice brushing a shark's teeth to learn about the importance of good oral health, play the hilarious Granny Pants Game where players slip into oversized, colorful “granny pants” and race to catch bouncing balls, and nurture your emotional, mental, and physical well-being.
Mindfulness
Relax with Tomo the therapy dog, create a paper bag monster puppet to explore different emotions, and participate in deep breathing, stretching, and other mindfulness exercises as part of a family yoga session.
Reading
Play a game of alphabet bowling, curl up with a book at the book nook under the trees, and take another step forward in fostering a love of reading.
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM)
Get up close with creepy, crawly, and cute reptiles and arachnids at a live animal presentation from Leo Spinner of Skins & Scales, enjoy nature crafts with staff from the New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill, and engage in hands-on robotics and coding.
These and other Day of Play activities can help children develop their imagination, critical-thinking skills, and problem-solving skills through play.
Enjoy Family-Friendly Entertainment
In addition to our Day of Play activities, there'll also be performances by:
- Chuck & Mud & Buds Children's Music: Listen and sing along to traditional, popular, and original children's songs.
- Cory Scott - Rat Catcher Extraordinaire!: Enjoy the zany delights of Cory Scott - the Rat Catcher Extraordinaire as he roams the park grounds throughout the Day of Play.
- Crocodile River Music: Celebrate movement, culture, and joy with this internationally recognized group of musicians.
- The L-Jays: Watch this upbeat pop rock band, as they're sure to put a smile on your face.
- The Quinsigamond Community College (QCC) Music Ensemble: See this group of student musicians perform an exciting mix of rock, pop, Latin, and contemporary music.
It's Free to Attend
Thank you to our generous sponsors that provide fiscal and in-kind support for our Day of Play Family Festival. This event is FREE for our families and children because of their contributions!
Presenting Sponsors
- Edward Street
- City of Worcester
- Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care (EEC)
- Worcester Family Partnership
Activity Sponsors
- Garelick Farms
- Guild of St. Agnes
- The Hanover Insurance Group Foundation
- Wegmans
Contributing Sponsors
- Eastern Bank
- Groundworks
- Middlesex Savings Bank
- Rainbow Child Development Center
- YMCA of Central Massachusetts
Supporters
- All One Credit Union
- Bob's Discount Furniture
- Boys & Girls Club of Worcester
- Cornerstone Bank
- Country Bank
- Early Childhood Advocates for All (ECAA)
- Lakeshore Learning
- OpenSky Community Services
- Webster Square Day Care Center
- Price Chopper/Market 32
- Worcester Comprehensive Education and Care
- YWCA of Central Massachusetts
- Quinsigamond Community College
Get Ready for Our Day of Play!
Check out our blog post about last year's Day of Play and our photo albums so you can see why thousands of people attend our festival every year.
Additionally, sign up for our mailing list to receive our monthly Day of Play newsletter featuring fun activities for families and children.
If you'd like to get involved in our Day of Play as an interactive activity provider or volunteer, email us at info@worcesterdayofplay.org or call us at 508-792-0220 for more information.
Edward Street is proud to host our Day of Play. Donate today to show your support for our Day of Play and our many other initiatives that promote high quality early learning and care. We also encourage you to read our blog and follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn.