(Berkeley, CA) January 26, 2008
Keynote speaker Penny Wilson, renown Playworker from the UK, and a panel of local and national experts will discuss the dramatic decline in children's play at a symposium to be held at the Doubletree Hotel in Berkeley on January 26. The symposium is hosted by Habitot Children's Museum of Berkeley, the Bay Area Early Childhood Funders & the Alliance for Childhood which is based in Maryland.

One of the first public showings of "Where Do the Children Play?" a documentary film originated by Elizabeth Goodenough and produced by Michigan (PBS) Television, will take place at the symposium. The film illuminates the social and technological trends that are working against free play and offers rich insights into the nature and power of play. Directly following the symposium, participants are invited to complimentary visits to the Adventure Playground in Berkeley, the Bay Area Discovery Museum in Sausalito and Habitot Children's Museum.

The Symposium will be held from 9:00 am - 1:00 pm at the Doubletree Hotel located at 200 Marina Blvd. Berkeley, 94710 (University Ave. Exit- I-80). Advance registration is $40, walk-in is $55. Call 510-647-1111 x35 to register.

Please see Play Around the Bay (PDF) for comprehensive list of speakers and more about the keynote, Penny Wilson.

About Habitot:
Habitot Children's Museum is the East Bay's award-winning hands-on discovery museum for young children. More than 650,000 people have enjoyed the museum's interactive exhibits, art programs and classes since its opening in 1998. Not just a place to entertain young children, Habitot provides resources and support for early childhood learning, parenting success, and community connection. Habitot is accessible to all Bay Area families through its Family and Community Partnerships Program that brings more than 10,000 low-income and at-risk children into the museum every year through scholarships, subsidized memberships and free admissions days.

For more information about Habitot's events and free days, please visit habitot events