Our 1st Year in Review – Highlights of the year

It has been 13 months since we launched Sunflower Play Initiative.  What started as a small project of hosting Pop-Up Build and Plays in Delray Beach grew into an entire community outreach program serving children, parents, educators and communities in Palm Beach County.  

Since the beginning, in June 2018, SPI had the opportunity to partner with several local nonprofit organizations by hosting 23 Pop-Up Build and Play events for children at their sites (approx. total of 1,000 children).

Nonprofit organizations that we have partnered with:

• Delray Children’s Garden
• Milagro Center
• Delray Beach Public Library
• City of Delray Beach Parks and Recreation
• Arts Garage
• Swinton Community Growing Project
• Farmworkers Coordinating Council of Palm Beach County

As a result, we have established a play ranging relationship with some of these local nonprofits that involves hosting Build and Plays at their site repeatedly throughout the year.  

In addition to being at the frontlines of play with children, SPI worked with faculty and youth leaders.  SPI presented a professional workshop on “Play is Powerful” to 25 faculty at Grandview Preparatory School in Boca, Raton and provided one-on-one “play” coaching to faculty at Grandview Prep, Village Academy, Palm Beach Zoo, and Farmworkers Council of Lake Worth.

Our biggest celebration and highest-attended event of the year was the Delray Play Day at Old School Square in November 2018.  This 4-hour event consisted of free teacher and parent workshops taught by Morgan Leichter-Saxby from Pop-Up Adventure Play and an huge Pop-Up Build and Play.  Over 300 attendees gathered on the West Lawn of Old School Square and played with loose parts (cardboard boxes, tape, fabric, bubble wrap) and 75 parents and teachers attended the workshops.  Stay tuned for our 2^nd Delray Build and Play in October 2019

Sunflower Play Initiative is growing at a rapid pace.  In our second year, we are planning more Pop-Up Build and Play events, more play ranging with the nonprofits, and offering more workshops and play coaching for faculty and parents at the local elementary schools.