A Song, Video, and Activity Set to Spark Joy—and Learning—in Young Children

Young children around the world are growing up in a time of global conflicts and societal tension, when their parents, caregivers, and teachers are likely coping with issues that can be difficult and overwhelming. Yet if their caregivers could turn the tables on those feelings and recognize that, no matter what, joy can be found, they will have the power to help kids blossom into young learners, with all the benefits that learning brings.

This is the message pouring forth from a series of materials for educators and caregivers — all of which fuel an outreach campaign — developed by a team of five LSX fellows who want to raise awareness of the science of joy. Their project is called Joy Lives Here.

“Joy is integral for learning, and it is also a byproduct of learning,” says LSX fellow Michelle Dinneen-White. Benjamin Herold, another LSX fellow in the group, described it as a “strong two-way connection.” “When we are joyful, we are better able to learn,” Herold says, “and when we are doing the best and deepest kind of learning, it brings us joy.”

“Experiments have shown that different aspects of joy can foster attention, concentration, can improve memory, and can improve executive function, and all of those capabilities are important for learning,” says LSX fellow Andrea Goldin.

The materials in the kit include 15 cards divided into themes like creativity, finding joy where you are, and locating joy in struggle. “Within each category we have different activities, and so the cards encourage caregivers and children to experience moments of joy on a daily basis,” says LSX fellow Natasha Tarpley. “It was important that our project and the products we created had a global perspective,” Tarpley adds. The cards were developed, she says, “to touch on different cultural understandings of joy” while also bringing images of colorful fun characters into the campaign.

Another big part of the awareness-building campaign is an original song and music video showing people of all ages, all around the world, dancing and having fun. “We know that children love to learn through song,” says LSX fellow Elizabeth Kperrun-Eremie. “Song and music is something that appeals to everyone, regardless of age.” The music video was created to be catchy, singable, and make you want to move and dance.

Science and research are also at the heart of the project, with a new study underway in Chicago, coordinated by Goldin and Dinneen-White, and in conjunction with the Play Smart Literacy project. The study will gather evidence on the extent to which having a joyful experience can lead to new learning that can be captured and documented. It uses the Joy Lives Here cards, the music video, and board books from a prior LSX project, Bunny to Bunny. The study’s hypothesis is that engaging families in a joyful talk and play practice, where learning science is embedded into the experience, will help adults better understand, remember, and apply these principles in their home environment. This will foster the connection with their children and open pathways to learning. By integrating playful interactions with joyful, experiential learning, adults will be more likely to repeat and sustain this practice, fostering continuous, informal, and intentional learning moments with their children.

The LSX fellows who developed this project are: Michelle Dinneen-White, Andrea Goldin, Benjamin Herold, Elizabeth Kperrun-Eremie, and Natasha Tarpley.

Hear more of their story in the video below, and go to this LSX page with access to the Joy Lives Here kit, including music video and printable PDFs of the cards. These materials are free for use in early learning centers and homes everywhere as part of the awareness campaign.