All Play Content

Young girl smiling
Child in poop machine in outdoor sandbox
Article
Teaching Young Children
December 1, 2016

The Poop Machine

Read the following story and teacher reflections, and use the Reflective Questions to deepen your own thinking and teaching practices.

Authored by

Authored by: 
Nadia Jaboneta, Deb Curtis
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Subitizing game
Article
Teaching Young Children
December 1, 2016

Message in a Backpack™ Family Math Game: Subitizing

Try this activity with your child to expose them to subitizing—the ability to “see” and recognize a small number of objects and know instantly how many there are without counting!

Authored by

Authored by: 
Deanna Pecaski McLennan
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Two children playing outside under  long bamboo poles
Article
Teaching Young Children
October 1, 2016

Preschoolers Play With Bamboo

Bamboo is a unique natural material that can provide days—even months!—of exploration for preschool children.

Authored by

Authored by: 
Condie Ward
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Two toddlers playing on rocking horse
Article
Young Children
July 1, 2016

Rocking and Rolling: It's Never "Just Play"!

The skills used in this scenario are what children will need as adults to succeed in the 21st century, and the children in this scenario are developing them seamlessly and organically through play.

Authored by

Authored by: 
Linda Groves Gillespie
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Two children creating a project with cardboard box
Blog
June 17, 2016

Making, Tinkering, and The Toy Store Project

What happens when you give a young child a cardboard box? They turn it into a car, a robot, a doghouse, or a spaceship. Children are natural makers

Authored by

Authored by: 
Cate Heroman, Kerry Sheldon, Sarah West
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A classroom building scribbling machines
Blog
February 29, 2016

Máquinas de hacer garabatos

Paige Zittrauer challenged her kindergarten students and their high school art student project partners: Make a contraption that moves on its own across a piece of paper and leaves a mark in its path

Authored by

Authored by: 
Cate Heroman, Paige Zittrauer
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A classroom building scribbling machines
Blog
February 29, 2016

Scribbling Machines

Paige Zittrauer challenged her kindergarten students and their high school art student project partners: Make a contraption that moves on its own across a piece of paper and leaves a mark in its path

Authored by

Authored by: 
Cate Heroman, Paige Zittrauer
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Asian male and young girl interact in the dramatic play area
Article
Teaching Young Children
December 1, 2015

Learning Stories

A story is powerful and meaningful to families and can often communicate more than a number, a score, or a checklist of skills.

Authored by

Authored by: 
Judi Pack
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Excited children in classroom.
Article
Teaching Young Children
October 1, 2015

10 Unique Dollar Store Finds

There’s no need to break the bank when looking for interesting tools and explorations for preschoolers! NAEYC staff went to the local dollar store and were inspired by these 10 items.
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Little girl coming out of play tunnel
Article
Young Children
September 1, 2015

Our Proud Heritage—Playground: A Historical Context

The first schools for the very young in the United States did not include playgrounds because they were established prior to the concept of a playground.

Authored by

Authored by: 
​Timothy A. Kinard
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Child playing on outdoor rings.
Article
Teaching Young Children
June 1, 2015

Playing, Laughing, and Learning in Preschool

This article offers ways to learn to let go of control and encourage laughter with preschoolers.

Authored by

Authored by: 
Sarah Smidl
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young boy plays with rubber ducks
Article
Teaching Young Children
April 1, 2015

25 Things to Do With Rubber Ducks

It would be easy to think of the rubber duck as just a bath time or water table toy. However, this brightly colored buddy deserves a presence in your program. Here are 25 things you and the children can do today with rubber ducks.

Authored by

Authored by: 
Stacia Jackson
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Preschoolers standing at taco truck
Blog
March 23, 2015

Tacos Anyone? Preschoolers Investigate a Taco Truck

Student teachers Briana Guillory and Kaitlen Perkins thought about children’s interests and noticed that so much of their students' dramatic play centered on preparing and cooking food. Read how they got prepared for Tasty Tuesday during NAEYC's WOYC!

Authored by

Authored by: 
Cate Heroman, Kaitlen Perkins, Briana Guillory
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Two girls playing with blocks in classroom
Article
Young Children
March 1, 2015

Using Blocks to Develop 21st Century Skills

Many early childhood educators are struggling to create a balance between addressing new initiatives and providing children with the active, dynamic, and integrated learning experiences that block play offers.

Authored by

Authored by: 
Karen Wise Lindeman, Elizabeth McKendry Anderson
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YC March 2015 Issue
Issue
Young Children
Vol. 70, No. 1
March 1, 2015

March 2015

Blocks: Great Learning Tools From Infancy Through the Primary Grades
YC March 2015 Issue
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Child with disability playing with blocks
Article
Young Children
March 1, 2015

Ten Things Children Learn From Block Play

In this article, NAEYC staff and Young Children consulting editors answer the question, “What do you think children learn through block play?” Here are some responses.

Authored by

Authored by: 
Derry Koralek
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