The Pittsburgh Association for the Education of Young Children (PAEYC) is celebrating the Month of the Young Child in April to focus public attention on young children’s development and to recognize early childhood programs.  The national association (NAEYC) first established the celebration in 1971, recognizing that the early childhood years (birth through age 8) lay the foundation for children's success in school and later life.  This year’s national theme is “Building Better Futures for All Children,” and PAEYC is focusing on the role of young children’s play in fostering all aspects of development.  At the Children’s School, educators support children’s play as a significant means to engage them in effective learning in all six of our goal domains.

Self-Esteem & Independence
Play contexts invite children to express their own ideas and understanding while they explore new materials and master new skills.  Children thrive when they have a choice of meaningful activities and open-ended options for using a variety of materials.  Such choices invite children to take initiative in their own learning and foster intrinsic motivation – the desire to work on a task primarily because it is satisfying.

Interaction & Cooperation
Children play in diverse ways.  They engage in “solitary play” apart from others or in “parallel play” near another child who is using the same materials but engrossed in his own activity.  Interaction begins with “associative play”, which involves some conversation, sharing of materials, and similar actions but no coordination of goals.  True “cooperative play” emerges as children begin to develop shared goals, such as a coordinated scenario in the dramatic play area, a joint building endeavor in the block area, or a team game on the playground.  The more children play together, the better they understand other children’s points of view, demonstrate empathy and caring, and develop conflict resolution skills.

Communication
As children interact during play, they learn to use language in new ways to describe their play, negotiate sharing, plan joint goals, etc.  Their vocabulary increases as they learn words for new objects and actions in our changing theme-related centers (e.g., a fire station or a paleontologist’s office).

Physical Capabilities
During play, children’s whole bodies are engaged in learning, which builds both small and large motor skills naturally.  Increasing physical prowess builds self-esteem and enables greater independence in play.

Artistic Expression & Appreciation
Dramatic play, art and writing center explorations, and other music and movement opportunities offer children a variety of media for expressing their ideas and learning to appreciate others’.  These experiences build skills in each of the other domains as well, thus expanding children’s learning via play.

Adults can support play in many of the same ways that we do at school, by providing space, opportunities, and materials.  Arranging “play dates” with peers and visiting public play areas provides experience with multiple others.  Space where children can play without fear of damaging furniture or injuring themselves, time to choose and become engaged in their own play activities, and simple, interesting materials are key ingredients. 

During April, we will be sharing photographs and brief descriptions of children’s play in a variety of public venues on Carnegie Mellon’s campus, including Hunt Library, the Schatz dining facility in the University Center, the Humanities and Social Sciences entry way on the first floor of Baker Hall, the Psychology Department Lounge, and the entrance areas to the Children’s School in Margaret Morrison.  We encourage you to view these exhibits, then talk with your friends and colleagues about the importance of early childhood play, and to spend some time observing and reflecting on the value of play for your own children.  We’d love to hear about your experiences!