Best Practice Research
Independent, Validated, Relevant
About CORE
Our parent company, PlayCore, is committed to researching and advocating for play and recreation to create a healthier, happier society through their Center for Outreach, Research, and Education (CORE.) CORE comprises four distinct service areas to share scholarly, evidence-based research, build informed advocacy, and help empower communities with tools and data to create and measure great play, recreation, and outdoor spaces.
Research
As a PlayCore company, GameTime leverages the deep knowledge of CORE’s Research Institute. The Institute is comprised of leading experts, universities, and research centers who work with PlayCore to investigate, discover, and communicate information and outcomes in scholarly resources, professional development opportunities, and Data Services. The research also helps drive our product development and playspace design.
Resource Library
CORE’s Resource Library is a collection of evidence-based publications including best-practice design guides, planning tools, advocacy tools, case studies, and standards-based curricula. Scroll down to learn more about these resources and put them into practice in your community.
Professional Development
CORE’s Professional Development Hub combines research and resources to offer world-class learning opportunities where professionals can share learnings and earn Continuing Education Units (CEUs) through a variety of tailored events and diverse topics. Use the code GAMETIME to register for these sessions.
Data Service Lab
If outcomes data is important to you, GameTime works with communities to design and build outdoor recreation spaces that align with best practice research. These eligible spaces are designated as National Demonstration Sites (NDS) by PlayCore’s CORE. An NDS showcases a community's commitment to evidence-based best practices in design and implementation and are part of a nationwide outcomes reporting framework that provides stakeholders with reliable reports that demonstrate the project’s impact on the community.
Best Practice Design
Curricula
Planning Tools
Advocacy and Impact Tools
News from GameTime
Check out news and information from GameTime about play research.
Parents are spending less time playing with their children, and children are spending less time playing in general. Busy schedules, work commitments, and schoolwork can often take precedence over spending quality time with each other.
Outdoor play brings families together across generations. Intergenerational play allows everyone in the family to bond and enjoy nature at the same time. Read on to learn how spending time outdoors is important for families and how you can make play possible for everyone.
What is Intergenerational Outdoor Play?
According to Transformational Impact, ‘intergenerational’ refers to “an active exchange or connection between and among the generations.”
Intergenerational outdoor play involves family members of different ages engaging in outdoor activities together. This play is important for families to bond and have fun together, creating a meaningful connection between family members. Playing outside helps families bond and stay active through physical activity,
Dr. Stuart Brown is one of the leading authorities on play and how it shapes the brain. He offers a unique perspective and scientific approach to understanding the benefits of play, Dr. Stuart Brown has dedicated his life to studying and advocating the importance of participating in play throughout life. So when he speaks or writes about the importance of play, we stop and listen!
Writing for PlayCore's blog (which is filled with scholarly articles and insights on play), Dr. Brown expounds on the need for lifelong play, the value of early mixed aged play, and yes, play beyond childhood as we grow older. In fact, his latest article addresses the unique benefits that come from adults and children engaging in playful behavior together.
You can read all of Dr. Brown's articles on the PlayCore blog or request a copy of The Science of Play: A Treatise of Articles by Dr. Stuart Brown.
One of the benefits of outdoor obstacle courses is their ability to engage people of every generation in fun physical activity. GameTime’s Challenge Courses are installed in cities across North America and attract children and families who want to add some ninja warrior excitement to their trips to the park. That brought Yancy Culp and GameTime’s Fred Wiechmann to the Challenge Course at Tom Bass Regional Park in Houston, Texas.
Watch Yancy Culp and Fred Wiechmann take intergenerational play to the next level at a GameTime Challenge Course in Houston, Texas
When it comes to parenthood, playtime is an activity that doesn't get a lot of attention, yet, playing outdoors with your kids brings many benefits. Read on to learn more about how outdoor obstacle courses bring families together.
Are Parents Spending Enough Time Playing With Their Children?
A study in the U.K. once found that 20% of parents have forgotten how to play with their kids, and a third of parents find playing games