Playful Learning at Neighborhood Villages

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Play is a powerful strategy for learning. The Playful Learning at Neighborhood Villages (PL@NV) team provides professional development and coaching to educators from preschool to third grade, helping them infuse curiosity, empowerment, and joy into their learning communities.

Playful Learning: What It Is

Playful learning is intentional, teacher-guided play designed to help children make sense of their world and internalize understanding while building the courage to express themselves and grow creatively. Children naturally learn through play and creative exploration. Turning that instinct into confidence in a classroom takes intentional community-building and supportive facilitation: the work of educators who create safe, joyful spaces where failing forward and reflecting on learning experiences is part of the process. 

Playful Learning: Why it Matters

Playful learning supports the development of the whole child. When children engage in playful learning, they practice essential social-emotional skills in low-stakes settings: developing social awareness, strengthening self-management strategies, and building genuine relationships with peers and educators. These experiences give children room to meaningfully contribute to classroom communities where collaboration thrives and every voice matters. 

Playful learning empowers teachers. When practicing playful learning in their classrooms, teachers unlock a renewed passion for teaching filled with creativity and everyday joy. Watching students’ curiosity and creativity unfold through their authentic connections to academic content builds teachers’ own confidence. Playful learning honors both children and teachers as capable thinkers, communicators, and problem solvers, who lead their own teaching and learning.

Playful learning is a catalyst for curriculum success. Playful learning elevates high-quality materials and rigorous accountability by educators, creating learning environments that spark students' natural passion for discovery. By bringing choice, agency, curiosity, and enjoyment back into the classroom, playful learning unlocks the true potential of any curriculum. 

Playful learning prepares children for a rapidly changing world. In the age of AI, predicting the exact skills needed for future careers is nearly impossible. However, playful learners develop timeless, human capabilities: they are comfortable navigating the unknown, proactive in their own learning, skilled at collaboration, and resilient when facing challenges because they have experienced the joy of learning before.

Who We Are

We began as the coaching team for the Playful Learning Institute (PLI), bringing research-backed playful learning practices to Massachusetts public schools. A powerful partnership between the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and Neighborhood Villages, PLI has been transforming how educators approach teaching from Preschool through Grade 3. Independent evaluation research shows that PLI creates lasting impacts:

  • Boosts Academic Achievement: Significantly increases scores on state tests (MCAS).

  • Improves Classroom Culture: Elevates student engagement, motivation, social interactions, and overall school climate.

  • Supports Diverse Learners: Provides critical, proven support for English language learners and students with diverse needs.

  • Empowers Teachers: Teachers reported a renewed passion for their profession as they feel more creative, confident, and joyful about their teaching.

Playful Learning at Neighborhood Villages (PL@NV) offers professional development, coaching, and consultation for all educators. We support schools and districts through two distinct pathways:

  • DESE Grant Partners: We continue to provide specialized coaching for districts receiving the Playful Learning Institute (PLI) grant. Click here for more information on the DESE grant process and timelines.

  • Independent Services (Pre-K to Grade 3): For other districts and educators, we offer fee-for-service coaching and professional development tailored to your community’s needs.

Menu Of Services

Workshops: Our workshop offerings include: professional development workshops, leadership workshops, and family engagement events. We can adapt and are flexible to meet each individual district's needs. 

Coaching: Our coaching is based on playful learning practices. We work with individual teachers to create shared goals, co-design lessons and activities, and plan action steps and teaching strategies. We model, co-teach, observe teaching and learning, and reflect together afterwards. We support teachers integrating playful learning practices into any curriculum and subject area.

Click HERE to fill out an inquiry form

Consultation: Our team conducts on-site observations and assessments to understand each educator’s specific needs, then collaborates with them one-on-one to build a customized roadmap for bringing playful learning into their classrooms.

Meet the Coaches 

While our professional bios outline our credentials, we are, above all, lifelong playful learners who are passionate about teaching and coaching. Here’s a bit more about us.

  • Daniel Gonzalez

    Daniel Gonzalez has been working in early childhood education, specifically using play-based curricula, for over 25 years. He holds a Doctorate of Education in Curriculum, Teaching, Learning, and Leadership from Northeastern University and has received the Infant Mental Health Endorsement, an internationally recognized credential. As an educational coach, he loves applying his early education knowledge to K-12 education and seeing the gains children make over the school year. When he's not at work, Daniel loves spending time with his two dogs, writing (non-fiction and screenplays), and traveling around the US. You can view more of his work at drdanielgonzalez.com.

  • Debra Hurwitz

    Debra Hurwitz is a multi-licensed educator (Elementary, Special Education, and Elementary Math) with a Master’s in Education and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study (CAGS) in Reading, who now serves as an educational coach. Passionate about playful learning, Deb thrives on helping teachers embrace play in the classroom—unlocking student confidence, removing the fear of failure, and creating accessible, joyful learning experiences for all. Outside of coaching, Deb practices what she preaches by playing with her own kids and designing fun, creative activities for them at home, keeping her own sense of curiosity alive every day. 

  • Jennifer Berube

    As a coach, Jennifer treasures the moment a classroom shifts and a teacher experiences firsthand what play makes possible for children’s learning. She has coached play-based kindergarten classrooms across New Hampshire and led professional development that helps teachers advocate for playful learning in their schools and communities. As co-founder of Playsavers, she co-facilitates an annual summer playshop where educators learn through play so they can teach through play. She is the co-author of Guided Play Principles and Practices, PreK to 3: A Framework for Rekindling Joy and Meeting Learning Goals. Jennifer's play includes kayaking, dancing, and crafting.

  • Yvonne Liu-Constant

    Yvonne Liu-Constant has worked with learners from preschool to graduate school. She is the co-author of A Pedagogy of Play, written with her research teammates at Project Zero, Harvard Graduate School of Education. But first and foremost, Yvonne is a kindergarten teacher at heart. Perpetually curious, she finds great joy in learning new things, especially with children. As a coach, she savors the moments shared with teachers when they observe children's playful learning experiences, and realize how powerful play is as a strategy for learning. Yvonne loves dogs and turtles, and plays through word puzzles, long-distance running, and exploring nature.

Find Us At…

Our presentation at Lego Playful School Conference

The Neighborhood Villages booth at NAEYC's centennial conference in Washington, D.C. from December 5-8, 2026

“Using Playful Learning practices helped me build a more joyful and inclusive classroom environment where all students had opportunities to succeed, take risks, and feel valued as learners.”

— Barbara, 2nd grade teacher, Fall River

“It’s different from the rest of the day because it’s a time to do anything. So you could do art. You could do a book reader. I would say that there’s a choice for everyone.”

— Third grade student, Beverly

“I am most proud of learning to let go of control and become more comfortable with mess and unpredictability in the classroom. This experience helped me become more flexible and incorporate more fun, curriculum-connected experiences for students.”

— Simone LaPlant, 3rd grade teacher, Northampton

“It’s hands on, memorable and collaborative. It’s not just learning, it’s creative problem solving, teamwork and self-expression.”

— Laura McGuire, Mother of 3rd Grader, Beverly

Where Ideas Take Shape

Where creativity meets clarity, and vision meets action.

Research that supports Playful Learning