Resources: The Importance of Play

Concord Children’s Center’s curriculum is guided by decades of research demonstrating that the best foundation for a young child’s development and future learning is open-ended, child-initiated play.  Below are some suggested resources of the many that are available addressing why play is so critical in the growth and development of young children.

Articles

• “A Top Researcher Says It’s Time to Rethink Our Entire Approach to Pre-K,” National Public Radio, February 10, 2022.
• “The Importance of Play,” Chapter 1 from This is Play, National Association for the Education of Young Children, September 2019.
• “The Power of Play — How Fun and Games Help Children Thrive,” American Academy of Pediatrics, 2018.
• “The Power of Play: A Pediatric Role in Enhancing Development in Young Children,” American Academy of Pediatrics, September 1, 2018.
• “Summertime, Playtime,” Usable Knowledge, Harvard Graduate School of Education, June 12, 2018.
• “Let Our Children Play: The Importance of Play in Early Childhood Education,” Journal of Early Childhood Scholarship and Innovative Practice, University of Montana, April 28, 2018.
• “Learning Through Play: Education Does Not Stop When Recess Begins,” The Atlantic, September 13, 2016.
• “Rocking and Rolling: It’s Never ‘Just Play’!” Young Children, National Association for the Education of Young Children, July 2016.
• “The Importance of Play in Promoting Healthy Child Development and Maintaining Strong Parent-Child Bonds: Focus on Children in Poverty,” American Academy of Pediatrics, January 1, 2012.
• “The Importance of Play in Early Childhood Development,” Montana State University, April 2010.
• “The Importance of Play in Promoting Healthy Child Development and Maintaining Strong Parent-Child Bonds,” American Academy of Pediatrics, January 1, 2007.

Videos

• “Playing to Learn: Benefits of Play in Early Childhood,” Early Childhood Learning & Knowledge Center, Administration for Children & Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, October 28, 2021.
• “Play in Early Childhood: The Role of Play in Any Setting,” Harvard University Center on the Developing Child, August 8, 2019.