World-renowned psychologist, Stuart Brown Ph.D. and M.D., is making a rare public appearance at the Bay Area Discovery Museum this fall. The founder of the National Institute for Play and considered the grandfather of play, Dr. Brown will share his life-long research and advocacy work on the important role of play in human development; from shaping and growing young brains to staying vital through more mature life stages. This is the third event in our lecture series just for adults co-presented by ScholarShare Speaks. 

This event is free, so you too can become an advocate for play and creativity in your life and in the lives of children all around us. 

About Dr. Stuart Brown

Dr. Stuart Brown is a medical doctor, psychiatrist and clinical researcher but also a major proponent of the importance of play. He has found a strong correlation between success and playful activity through his research of animal behavior and more than 6,000 “play histories” of people with all different backgrounds. Brown’s book Play explains why play is essential to the development of our social skills, adaptability, intelligence, creativity, ability to problem solve and more. His background in psychiatry, the evolution of human and animal play, as well as his clinical research into the causes and prevention of violence, have shown him that authentic play is a state of being which can be accessed and used by everyone, and that play is as important to humans as vitamins or sleep. To further his efforts, Brown founded The National Institute for Play, a non-profit committed to bringing unrealized knowledge, practices, and benefits of play into public life through continuing research. He enjoys co-teaching "From Play to Innovation" at Stanford's Hasso Plattner School of Design (d.school).

About Creativity Talks

The Bay Area Discovery Museum, The Center for Childhood Creativity and ScholarShare Speaks have partnered to present Creativity Talks, a series of evening lectures for parents, grandparents and educators on important early childhood topics. All events feature local thought leaders and are held at the Museum. Past lectures include “The Buzz on Brains & Babies” with Dr. Nadine Burke Harris and “Get Ready for Summer: The Importance of Reconnecting Children with Nature” by author and parenting expert Suz Lipman.

About ScholarShare Speaks

ScholarShare Speaks is the official speaker series of ScholarShare, California's 529 College Savings Plan. ScholarShare launched ScholarShare Speaks in 2012 to promote the sharing of knowledge through the discussion of important topics in education, health and parenting. ScholarShare Speaks events are held throughout the state of California and are open to the public at no cost.

Recent Events

Suz Lipman, Get Ready for Summer: The Importance of Reconnecting Children with Nature

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Susan Sachs Lipman (Suz) Lipman is a parenting and family expert who serves as the Social Media Director for the Children & Nature Network and the author of Fed Up with Frenzy: Slow Parenting in a Fast-Moving World. Suz discussed how today’s children are increasingly disconnected from nature, even as a growing body of evidence shows that time in nature positively impacts every area of child development – physical, intellectual, social and emotional. Parents learned about the latest research on children and nature, the worldwide movement to reconnect children with nature, and easy-to-implement and creative ways to experience nature in their own local nature, backyard and at the Museum.

Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, The Buzz on Brains and Babies

Thursday, March 14, 2013

The Museum, the Center for Childhood Creativity and ScholarShare Speaks presented The Buzz on Brains and Babies. Nadine Burke Harris, M.D., M.P.H., F.A.A.P. is the founding physician and former Medical Director of the CPMC Bayview Child Health Center. She has earned international attention for her innovative approach to addressing adverse childhood experiences as a risk factor for adult disease such as heart disease and cancer. In her engaging lecture, Dr. Burke Harris addressed the critical importance of early childhood on health outcomes.