Play

Daily learning experiences that are meaningful, exploratory, and actionable are essential to the grow and development of young children. Play finds itself in the middle of these high-quality learning experiences. Play organically fosters opportunities for young children to strengthen relationships and interactions, gain cognitive skills, and strengthen their physical health and development. The following resources are intended to support early childhood educators, providers, and leaders in their work with young children and families.

The following resources are designed to support early childhood educators, providers, and leaders working with young children and families. Professional learning opportunities and resources are available on play by contacting the WYECPLC Learning Specialists.

Featured Articles & Resources

Watch for upcoming opportunities focused on Play in early childhood programs.

Learning Opportunities

Must Read Books

Loose Parts: Inspiring Play In Young Children

by Lisa Daly and Miriam Beloglovsky

Loose Parts Playing with Infants and Toddlers

by Lisa Daly and Miriam Beloglovsky

Preschoolers at Play Choosing the Right Stuff for Learning & Development

by Lisa Mufson & Megan King

Serious Fun How Guided Play Extends Children’s Learning

by Marie L. Masterson & Holly Bohart Editors

This is Play: Environments and Interactions that Engage Infants and Toddlers

by Julia Luckenbill Aarti Subramaniam and Janet Thompson

Connections to Wyoming Resources

Wyoming’s Coherent Path to Quality

The Coherent Path to Quality framework and “simple rules” invite all the adults in a child’s ecosystem to examine their role in the life of young children. The Stories from the Field, Examples from Wyoming, and photos from settings in our communities are filled with playful interactions.

How are play and joyful learning happening in your early childhood setting?

Relationships and Interactions

Simple Rule #2 Responsive

Examples from Wyoming

Teacher with infants and toddlers page 11

Simple Rule #3 Reciprocal

Siblings page 14

The Emotional and Physical Environment

Simple Rule #1 Safe

Stories from the Field

Child Development Center outdoor play page 22

Simple Rule #2 Respectful

Examples from Wyoming

Children freely using materials page 27

Learning Experiences

Simple Rule # 1 Meaningful

Stories from the Field

Fine motor learning experiences page 40

Simple Rule # 2 Exploratory

Stories from the Field

Exploring leaves in the wind, page 43

Wyoming’s Early Learning Standards

One of the organizational elements of the standards is Stories from the Field. These rich examples are of Wyoming children and adults using the standards in their daily interactions in early childhood settings across the state.

The following stories from Wyoming’s Early Learning Standards include connections to play. The Equity Connections, Teacher Tips, and Try It sections invite you to reflect on standards in your setting.

Communication

Asking for More page 22

A Fascinating Trip to the Park page 23

Equity Connection: Universal Design for Learning page 23

Literacy

Playful Reading page 25

Equity Connection: Trauma-Informed Practice page 25

Approaches to Learning

Making A Train page 30

Equity Connection: Trauma-Informed Practice page 30

Planning with Children page 32

Equity Connection: Developmentally Appropriate Practice page 33

Physical Health and Development

Straws and Containers page 40

Equity Connection: Trauma-Informed Practice page 41

Cowboy Conference Archive

Opportunities for Learning in a Multiage Group Setting (September 24, 2021)
Regional Facilitators Ashlee Fincher and Kara Cossel
Stories from the Field: Transforming Outdoor Environments
Regional Facilitators Ashlee Fincher and Liz Goddard
Wyoming Program Directors Wendee Web and Lindsay Burke
Turing Everyday Moments into Teachable Moments with Infants and Toddlers
Regional Facilitators Ashlee Fincher and Kelce Eckhardt
Shelby Jelly Foundations Early Care and Education

WYECPLC Blog Posts

Hollyhopsie (August 4, 2021)
Julie Eastes, Early Childhood Consultant
Watch Me Play and Grow! (June 30, 2021)
Kelce Eckhardt, Regional Facilitator
Springtime Outdoors the Play is Free (May 25, 2021)
Julie Eastes, Early Childhood Consultant
The Natural Habitat for Children is When They Are At Play (April 14, 2021)
Tom “Teacher Tom” Hobson
Trusting Toddlers (July 16, 2020)
Liz Goddard, Regional Facilitator
The Great Outdoors: Supporting Children in Risky Play (July 10, 2020)
Jennifer Zook, Regional Facilitator
A Summer to Remember (June 12, 2020)
Char Norris, Regional Facilitator