Children’s Play – More than Fun and Games

IELearnL Resources

• Learning at Home Activities
• Tip Sheet: Fun at Home with Preschoolers: Play with Light & Shadow
• Tip Sheet: Games for All Young Children
• Tip Sheet: Make Room for Blocks!
• Tip Sheet: Play and Self-Regulation in Preschool
• Tip Sheet: Play With Your Toddler—Indoors
• Tip Sheet: Say Yes to the Mess! Play with Rocks
• Tip Sheet: Say Yes to the Mess! Snow Time
• Tip Sheet: Say Yes to the Mess! Water Works
• Tip Sheet: Time to Play, Time to Dream: Unscheduling Your Child
• Tip Sheet: What Makes a Good Toy?
• Tip Sheet: Young Children Need to Play!
• Blog: “Mud-Luscious”: Some Thoughts on Messy Play
• Blog: Playing with Sticks: A Childhood Tradition
• Blog: Science Play with an Award-winning Toy
• Q&A: Age-Appropriate Play for Young Children

Web Resources

• Good Toys for Young Children by Age and Stage
  This resource developed by the National Association for the Education of Young Children notes that the best toys are those that can be played with in many different ways and that are age-appropriate in terms of safety.
• Creating a “Yes” Environment
  This article by an experienced teacher explains that a classroom should be an environment where children are able to feel successful through opportunities to explore without the limitations of adult expectations.
• “Fixing Puppets So They Can Talk”: Puppets and Puppet Making in a Classroom of Preschoolers with Special Needs (Spanish)
  This article by the Early Childhood Research and Practice journal describes how a classroom of young children with special needs engaged with puppets and puppet-making.
• When 2-Year-Olds and 3-Year-Olds Think Like Scientists (Spanish | Chinese)
  Videos serve as discussion points in this journal article by Early Childhood Research and Practice. In the videos, children solve problems they encounter during play.
• Different Types of Play
  These infographics from Barton Lab break down the different types of play, the importance of each kind of play, and how to support young children as they play.
• Math Talk While Cooking Together
  When families cook and prepare food, they naturally count, measure, and work with numbers. These recipes offer tips to help parents and caregivers talk about math while cooking with their children.
• At-Home Early Math Learning Kit for Families: Ideas for Supporting Young Children’s Math Skills – Kit 1 (Kit 2)
  This set of two kits provides fun early math resources geared toward children from birth to age 8. Tips for reading, recipes, math snacks, card games, scavenger hunts, and other games are included in the kits.