diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index d9ca298..3ab6195 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -26,7 +26,8 @@
       },
       {
         "command": "source-academy.show-panel",
-        "title": "Source Academy: Show the Source Academy panel"
+        "title": "Source Academy: Show the Source Academy panel",
+        "icon": "$(rocket)"
       },
       {
         "command": "source-academy.eval-editor",
@@ -74,11 +75,20 @@
         "key": "shift+enter"
       }
     ],
+    "menus": {
+      "view/title": [
+        {
+          "command": "source-academy.show-panel",
+          "when": "view == assessments",
+          "group": "navigation"
+        }
+      ]
+    },
     "views": {
       "source-academy": [
         {
           "id": "assessments",
-          "name": "Assessments",
+          "name": "",
           "icon": "assets/icon.svg",
           "contextualTitle": "Source Academy"
         }
diff --git a/src/treeview/index.ts b/src/treeview/index.ts
index 5e73266..1e86989 100644
--- a/src/treeview/index.ts
+++ b/src/treeview/index.ts
@@ -33,6 +33,9 @@ export class AssessmentsSidebarProvider
   }
 
   getChildren(element?: BaseTreeItem): Thenable<BaseTreeItem[]> {
+    // Synthetic root item that launches the Source Academy panel.
+    const launchItem = new PlaygroundItem();
+
     // @ts-ignore
     const assessmentOverviews: VscAssessmentOverview[] =
       this.context.globalState.get("assessmentOverviews");
@@ -44,14 +47,18 @@ export class AssessmentsSidebarProvider
       const assessmentTypes = [
         ...new Set(assessmentOverviews.map((ao) => ao.type)),
       ];
-      return Promise.resolve(
-        assessmentTypes.map((at) => new AssessmentFolder(at)),
-      );
+      const folders = assessmentTypes.map((at) => new AssessmentFolder(at));
+
+      return Promise.resolve([launchItem, ...folders]);
     }
 
     if (element && element.type === "AssessmentFolder") {
       const elem = element as AssessmentFolder;
 
+      if (!assessmentOverviews) {
+        return Promise.resolve([]);
+      }
+
       return Promise.resolve(
         assessmentOverviews
           .filter((ao) => ao.type == elem.assessmentType)
@@ -84,6 +91,21 @@ class BaseTreeItem extends vscode.TreeItem {
   };
 }
 
+/**
+ * Synthetic tree item that always appears at the top-level of the view.
+ */
+class PlaygroundItem extends BaseTreeItem {
+  constructor() {
+    super("Playground", vscode.TreeItemCollapsibleState.None);
+    this.type = "LaunchItem";
+    this.command = {
+      title: "Playground",
+      command: "source-academy.navigate",
+      arguments: ["/playground"],
+    };
+  }
+}
+
 class AssessmentFolder extends BaseTreeItem {
   constructor(public readonly assessmentType: string) {
     super(assessmentType, vscode.TreeItemCollapsibleState.Collapsed);