In the fall of 2000, The Institute for Play (IFP) created The Promise of Play, three one-hour documentaries to be aired on PBS as a miniseries. The IFP worked with InCA Productions of San Francisco, California. The executive producers were Dr. Stuart Brown and David Kennard. Helping with the production were Professor Brian Sutton-Smith, noted play researcher and theorist; renowned primatologist Jane Goodall; early childhood expert Alice Meckley; and the world-renowned Dr. Patch Adams.
EPISODE ONE: The Mother of Invention
Play helps us learn, create and adapt to a changing world. Primatologist Jane Goodall, professor and play theorist Brian Sutton-Smith, and others unravel the mystery of why human beings and animals need to play.
Fourth graders at the Rooftop School in San Francisco illustrate the higher motivation and learning that occurs when lessons are taught through play. At the Exporatorium, scientific discovery, creativity, and play are mixed in equal parts as a class plays with hands-on science exhibits.
https://web.archive.org/web/20060104010205/http://www.instituteforplay.com/2promise_of_play.htm
Promise of Play / 2 of 12 – Rooftop School from National Institute for Play on Vimeo.