(Long Island, N.Y.) After eight years of hard work and effort, Long Island-based moms Kim Marino, Melissa Bossert, Alyson Palmer and Jen Malvetti (sisters and friends) have finally completed a most important project: Play Smart!
It’s a labor of love, strength and smarts-what they created was a relevant and useful tool for today’s parent. The book contains 150 activities that parents can do with their child – these activities are Play Smart! activities because they enhance all areas of development: cognition, play, social, expressive, receptive, fine motor, gross motor and adaptive skills. And the best part of their book-it won’t break the bank: parents do not have to spend money on expensive educational toys, books, or games. These are activities that can be done in your home without having to buy anything. Their goal is to “empower” parents so that they have the tools necessary for their child to learn through play.
About Play Smart!
Parents are provided with activities and strategies that are easy to read, understand and use. The activities will enhance your child’s cognition, play skills, social skills, fine motor skills, gross motor skills, expressive language and receptive language skills. Most importantly, Play Smart! provides parents with activities that can be done within the home environment or out in the community without having to buy anything! Imagine being able to improve your child’s overall development without having to purchase expensive materials.
So who’s behind this bright idea?
“I have been working as a licensed speech and language pathologist for the past 18 years,” says Kim Marino, one of the Play Smart! authors. “I am a licensed as a speech and language pathologist, teacher of the speech and hearing handicapped and a certified elementary educator. I work for various agencies in Suffolk County providing home-based services and diagnostic evaluations. I am fortunate enough to have experiences with babies all the way up to the age of 21.”
The main reason for coming up with the idea Play Smart! (which they started about 8 years ago) was to empower parents with the tools they need to stimulate development in their child. “There are so many educational books, materials and toys that parents can purchase, but actually they really aren’t necessary,” says the Miller Place mom and educator. “As parents we have the tools and strategies within our home environment. So, Play Smart! teaches parents how to stimulate development-cognition, expressive language, receptive language, play skills, adaptive skills, and fine motor/gross motor skills – within the home environment or out in the community – without having to buy any materials. Simple activities such as taking a bath, baking, blowing bubbles and peek-a-boo can all be done in a playful and stimulating way so that you stimulate development.”
Play Smart! is also written by Jennifer Malvetti, from Rocky Point, who received her undergrad degree at SUNY Plattsburgh in Elementary Education and received her Masters at Dowling College in Special Education. She has been teaching at the Longwood Central School District for eight years, currently teaching third grade. Melissa Bossert, another contributor, is a Port Jefferson native who received her bachelor’s from CW Post and master’s degree from Adelphi University. She has worked with disabled children for over 20 years and currently teaches in the Middle Country Central School District and is the Chairperson for the Committee on Preschool Special Education. She has worked with early intervention, preschool and school-aged children.
On the download
Their book provides 150 activities for infants, toddlers, preschoolers and school-aged children. Each activity tells you how and why the play activity is important for your child. You will be amazed at how simple it is to stimulate and enrich your child’s overall development with everyday routine activities. Simple activities such as “peek-a-boo” and blowing bubbles can be done in a more enriching way. Bath time and cooking in the kitchen are perfect opportunities to enhance growth and development in your child. Play Smart! will teach you how to play and why you are playing. Play Smart! teaches parents to play with a purpose. The knowledge and experience the authors have attained over the past years has allowed them to develop this much needed helpful and creative book. Their hope is that they provide you with all of the tools that will allow you to PLAY and learn with your child without the need to purchase any materials, books, or toys while enhancing their overall development. Play Smart! teaches parents how to play with a purpose.
Get Appy!
The authors are very excited to announce Play Smart! is now available on the iPhone, the iPod Touch and the iPad. You can purchase Play Smart! as an iBook (and within the next few weeks as an app on Apple’s app store). Please visit the Apple iBook store on your iPhone, iPod, or iPad. Just look for their logo above when searching for Play Smart!
