Welcome to the Play and Learning Lab! We are a research lab in the psychology department at the University of Scranton, under the direction of Dr. Emily Hopkins. We want to understand how play, stories, media, and creativity enrich children's development. Children only spend about 14% of their waking hours at school, so the informal learning that takes place at home is so important. We want to learn what makes these learning opportunities effective so that every child has the chance to reach their full potential.