Play Day: Legends and Legacies

Special Event

Literacy Through Art, Play, and Discovery

Sunday, September 13, 2026, 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.

Location: ATRM Atrium
Ames Family Atrium

Free; No Ticket Required

a man and children sitting on the ground with a man and a woman

About The Event

Who’s in your story? From ancient myths to treasured family traditions, discover how stories connect us to the people who help shape our lives.

Join us as we bring together schools, families, museums, and community partners to explore meaningful ways to support literacy development from pre-K to 12. Discover how reading, writing, speaking, listening, viewing, and storytelling can be nurtured through art, play, and inquiry.

For Families

Explore myths, legends, folktales, and fables while celebrating the many forms of family, friendship, and community through art, literacy, and imagination.

Witness an interactive storytelling experience in the tradition of the griot featuring Storytime with Hassan
Free book giveaway through Kids Book Bank Cleveland (opens in a new tab)
Learn about local educational resources with Starting Point (opens in a new tab) and Pre4Cle (opens in a new tab)
Plunge into the pages of a book in Cleveland Public Library’s (opens in a new tab) reading nook
Find connection in our immersive portrait booths and stitch together stories through the art of bookbinding

A storyteller sitting on stool in front of children in the atrium. The storyteller is playing a drum.

For Educators

Discover a variety of academic resources and professional learning opportunities, including the following:

Curriculum and planning support
Classroom experiences aligned with Ohio learning standards
On-site and remote professional learning communities
Museum-based literacy connections for all grade levels

People in the gallery talking to each other and looking at an object from art up close.

Sponsors

Major support is provided by Akron Children’s.

All education programs at the Cleveland Museum of Art are underwritten by the CMA Fund for Education. Principal support is provided by the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation, Dieter and Susan M. Kaesgen, and Gail C. and Elliott L. Schlang. Major annual support is provided by Brenda and Marshall Brown, Mrs. Martine Kowal, Eva and Rudolf Linnebach, Medical Mutual of Ohio, the Edwin D. Northrup II Fund, the Reinberger Foundation, Shurtape Technologies, and the Kelvin and Eleanor Smith Foundation. Generous annual support is provided by Gini and Randy Barbato, the M. E. and F. J. Callahan Foundation, Dr. William A. Chilcote Jr. and Dr. Barbara S. Kaplan, Char and Chuck Fowler, the Giant Eagle Foundation, Linda Harper, the late Marta and the late Donald M. Jack Jr., Susan LaPine, Bill and Joyce Litzler, the Logsdon Family Fund for Education, Lu Anne and the late Carl Morrison, Sarah Nash, Courtney and Michael Novak, William J. and Katherine T. O’Neill, William Roj and Mary Lynn Durham, Suzanne Cushwa Rusnak and Jeff Rusnak, Ellen and Lowell Satre, in memory of Dee Schafer, Betty T. and David M. Schneider, the Sally and Larry Sears Fund for Education Endowment, Roy Smith, Saundra K. Stemen, Paula and Eugene Stevens, the Trilling Family Foundation, Jack and Jeanette Walton, and the Womens Council of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

The Cleveland Museum of Art is funded in part by residents of Cuyahoga County through a public grant from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture.

Education programs are supported in part by the Ohio Arts Council, which receives support from the State of Ohio and the National Endowment for the Arts.