All Play Content

Young girl smiling
Children play with blocks and dinosaur figurines.
Article
Teaching Young Children
September 1, 2021

Sparking Creativity with Cross-Area Play

Cross-area play is rooted in the idea that when children are given the freedom to experiment with materials in open-ended ways, their play can transform into elaborate, complex plots and offer rich developmental opportunities.

Authored by

Authored by: 
Lydia Minahan, Jessica Byrd, Sarah Dwyer, Sandra Romp, Layney Viets, Ekaterina Strekalova-Hughes
Members Only
children playing on a playground
Article
Teaching Young Children
September 1, 2021

Stepping Back to Nurture

Stepping back from children’s play, rather than always inserting ourselves into it, gives us time to intentionally observe, listen to, and record children as they play.

Authored by

Authored by: 
Krystina Tapia, Emma Pickering, Jesse Robert Coffino
Members Only
a bucket of nature items like pinecones and leaves
Article
Teaching Young Children
September 1, 2021

Using Nature Contact to Support Children Under Stress

Contact with nature can help mitigate the negative effects of stress. Through nature-based encounters, we can provide children with strategies to use while they are in our care and beyond.

Authored by

Authored by: 
Becky L. DelVecchio, Susan Ferguson, Wesley Knapp
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the cover of the publication Teaching young children, Volume 14, Number 5
Issue
Teaching Young Children
Vol. 15, No. 1
September 1, 2021

Fall 2021

Nature Learning Indoors and Out
Teaching Young Children is NAEYC's magazine for anyone who works with preschoolers. Colorful, informative, and easy-to-read, TYC is packed full of teaching ideas, strategies, and tips.
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a person using a computer
Blog
September 17, 2021

Ten Things I Learned in the Virtual Classroom that I’ll Use This Year

After using hand-on learning in my virtual classroom, here are key ideas I learned while teaching in the pandemic Zoom classroom that I will be carrying with me as we begin the upcoming school year. 

Authored by

Authored by: 
Julia Luckenbill
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A child plays a shapes activity.
Article
Young Children
September 1, 2021

Intentional Teaching Moments: Supporting Executive Function Development and Early Mathematics Through a Geometry Activity

Enhanced by math activities, higher-order mental skills and abilities serve as the behind-the-scenes machinery that facilitates young children’s ability to engage in and demonstrate their learning competency.

Authored by

Authored by: 
Holland W. Banse, Douglas H. Clements, Julie Sarama, Crystal Day-Hess, Marisa Simoni, Candace Joswick
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a teacher showing a child a nature book outside
Article
Teaching Young Children
July 1, 2021

Preschool in the Park: Place-Based Learning in Unexpected Spaces

Place-based education uses local cultures, heritage, landscapes, opportunities, and experiences to create a curriculum in which literacy, mathematics, social studies, science, and arts learning occur in the context of place.

Authored by

Authored by: 
Rachel J. Franz
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The cover for the publication, Teaching Young Children, Summer 2021.
Issue
Teaching Young Children
Vol. 14, No. 4
July 1, 2021

Summer 2021

Empowering Educators & Programs: A Blueprint for Excellence
Teaching Young Children is NAEYC's magazine for anyone who works with preschoolers. Colorful, informative, and easy-to-read, TYC is packed full of teaching ideas, strategies, and tips.
Members Only
Two young children talk to an adult
Article
Young Children
May 1, 2017

El caso de la ciencia del cerebro y el juego guiado: una historia en desarrollo

En particular, el juego libre y el juego guiado, conocidos en conjunto como aprendizaje lúdico, son herramientas pedagógicas a través de las cuales los niños pueden aprender de manera alegre y relevante.

Authored by

Authored by: 
Brenna Hassinger-Das, Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, Roberta Michnick Golinkoff
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An adult interacting with two children
Article
Young Children
May 1, 2017

脑科学和引导式游戏的案例:正在发生的故事 The Case of Brain Science and Guided Play: A Developing Story

NAEYC promotes high-quality early learning for all children, birth through age 8, by connecting practice, policy, and research. We advance a diverse early childhood profession and support all who care for, educate, and work on behalf of young children.

Authored by

Authored by: 
Brenna Hassinger-Das, Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, Roberta Michnick Golinkoff
Members Only