- Play-Doh is encouraging kids to think of their imaginations as a superpower that can unlock learning in a new campaign that includes an entire educational curriculum.
- The new effort, called “Play-Doh Kids Can,” is designed to provide parents and schools with resources to make imagination accessible and fun for all through open-ended play. Central to the campaign is the Play-Doh Imagination Curriculum, which includes short lessons and games to encourage kids to be creative.
- The Imagination Curriculum will roll out this month through multi-channel in-person and digital programming experiences in the United States and Canada. The educational materials were developed by leaders in play and imagination, whose experience spans more than 40 years of research, inclusive design and creative arts.
The Play-Doh Imagination Curriculum was born out of an insight that imagination is not often perceived as a critical skill for development, despite research showing it can help with fundamental skills such as problem-solving, independent thinking and confidence. The campaign includes a short commercial that begins in black and white with kids looking angry when they are being told they “can’t” do things. The mode switches to color and Play-Doh asserts it is going to show kids the “power of can.”
“Kids today are up against several imagination barriers like stress, judgment, and distraction which can lead to ‘growing out’ of their imaginations too quickly,” said Tamara Grindrod, Senior Vice President, Creativity & PLAY-DOH Brand at Hasbro, in a release. “This program provides an easy-to-use guide for kids and adults to exercise their imaginations and individuality through a variety of quick, fun activities that encourage open-ended play, whether at home, at school, or anywhere you can bring a can of Play-Doh.”
Activities, with names like Funny Hats, Canned Creatures and Music Monsters, within the curriculum range from five to fifteen minutes, and the guides include step-by-step instructions to present the projects to kids, along with options for extending each lesson plan. The curriculum will be distributed throughout Canada beginning this month through Syllabus Partners to 750 educators and 18,750 students. Starting in November, the Imagination Curriculum, along with two million cans of Play-Doh, will be distributed to Title I schools across the U.S. via the nonprofit First Book.
