Play Today: Building the Young Brain Through Creative Expression

WINNER of the 2016 Academic's Choice Smart Book Awards; Creative Child Magazine's 2016 Book of the Year!

When young children are engaged in imaginative play, they are not just having fun; they are developing skills and concepts that are foundational to their learning. Teachers can get the most out of this critical development time with thoughtful preparations that allow the children to freely explore their creativity and learn from each other. Using simple props and donated items, the book shows how centers can be transformed into rich and rewarding learning spaces for children. Play Today offers dozens of easy-to-do scenarios that will spark open-ended play explorations.

Play strategies discussed boost brain development in many ways, including:

Memory and flexible thinking, Communication, Social-emotional skills, Mathematics, Science, Literacy and more!

Ann Barbour is a professor emerita of early childhood education at California State University, Los Angeles. She received an MEd in Elementary Education and a PhD in Curriculum and Instruction, with a specialization in Early Childhood Education. She has taught preschool and elementary school and has played an active role in education for more than 30 years. Ann has studied and written about topics as varied as the importance of building literacy skills at home, playground design that incorporates learning opportunities for children of all developmental needs and abilities, portfolio assessment, and the importance of supporting families to promote the healthy development of children.