The National Conference on the Value of Play – Early Bird March 10 - Deadline fast approaching!

The Eppley Center’s Play Coalition is excited to again host the National Conference on the Value of Play April 28-30, 2026, here in lovely Bloomington, Indiana (ranked one of the most beautiful campuses in the U.S.!).  Early bird registration rates end in less than a month on March 10^th.

The play conference brings together nonprofit professionals; parks and public lands designers, architects, planners, and practitioners; early childhood educators; museum, library, and cultural institution representatives; recreation, leisure, and play researchers; health and wellness providers; and many more from across intersecting fields of play and recreation. For more information, and to register, check out the conference website.

A few of the highlights we’re particularly excited about include:

• The Play Hub (New!) – A central space for connecting with others, interacting with sponsors, engaging in playful activities and more throughout the conference. Activities include an active play lab, a creative music-making fest, and more!
• An outdoor track – for those who want to learn, play, and explore outdoors.
• More than 70 sessions, from which you can earn CEUs from Indiana University.
• Many more events, such as our keynotes, plenary addresses, and evening social events will be announced in the weeks to come!

Here’s a bit more about the 3-day conference: The three-day event will include headliner presentations, a research symposium, educational sessions, networking, epic play breaks and more. This year’s theme is “Play & ____!”  With this theme, the 2026 conference celebrates play’s ubiquity, adaptability, and boundlessness. Play & invites every attendee to explore their own “&”—whether that’s play in their personal journey, life stage, or profession. Play & invites us to consider all the ways in which play intersects with our personal lives, as well as within and across fields, disciplines, and communities. If you’re interested in group registration discounts or sponsorship opportunities, please reach out to the team at usplay@iu.edu.