learning through the primary grades( Takanishi 2016; Kauerz et al. 2021; NAEYC 2022). Neither child-guided play nor adult-guided instruction alone consistently supports this kind of learning( Weisberg et al. 2016). In guided play, children may initiate an activity or project, and teachers encourage them along the way to consider the decisions they are making and why they are making them. Children retain ownership of ideas, materials, and exploration while teachers shape the environment and introduce prompts that extend thinking toward meaningful academic goals( Weisberg et al. 2013, 2016; Zosh et al. 2022).
As a former preschool and kindergarten teacher and current early learning leader at the Buffett Early Childhood Institute at the University of Nebraska, I have spent my career in classrooms and alongside teachers exploring how guided play supports children’ s learning from birth through the primary grades. In this article, I examine what guided play looks like in kindergarten through third grade, why it belongs in primary classrooms, and how teachers can engage with children before, during, and after play to sustain rigorous, joyful learning for every child.
Why Guided Play Belongs in Primary Grades
Early childhood extends through age 8( NAEYC 2020), and during the primary grades, children make rapid gains in symbolic reasoning, social and emotional competence, and self-regulation, among other areas( Hirsh-Pasek et al. 2020). Guided play blends children’ s initiative with intentional adult support that helps bridge what a child can do alone and what they can accomplish with guidance( Vygotsky 1978). Indeed, guided play supports the thinking, problem solving, and collaboration that help children in this age group thrive academically and socially( Fromberg & Bergen 2009). Too often though, primary-grade classrooms emphasize rote facts and basic skills rather than big ideas like reasoning through challenges and making meaningful connections( Clements & Sarama 2016; Ng et al. 2022).
When teachers thoughtfully connect playful experiences to learning goals, everyday activities become powerful opportunities for growth( Zosh et al. 2022; Pyle et al. 2024). Imagine a project in which first graders are asked to co-author a story about a city of animals. One group writes the narrative while another draws a matching map. As they decide whether the lion’ s den should be near the zebra’ s garden, the teacher asks,“ What might happen if they lived next to each other?” The teacher’ s question extends children’ s storytelling, stretches thinking, and builds skills. At the same time, it preserves the children’ s ownership of the narrative, creating opportunities for vocabulary development, reasoning, and collaboration; most importantly, it keeps curiosity and creativity at the center of the activity. This example illustrates both the qualities of guided play and its influence on children’ s language, math, science, and collaboration skills( Clements & Sarama 2016, 2025; Hassinger- Das et al. 2017; Zosh et al. 2022). When teachers plan with this balance between child-directed play and teacher-led guidance, learning becomes something children choose with enthusiasm.
Creating Classrooms Where Every Child Belongs
Effective guided play considers each and every child, including multilingual learners and children with disabilities. It treats the languages, cultures, and experiences children bring to school as assets for learning( James & Iruka 2018; NAEYC 2019). More specifically, guided play
› Draws on children’ s home languages, knowledge, and lived experiences as strengths
› Creates multiple ways for children to participate and contribute
› Replaces passive, one-size-fits-all instruction with active, meaningful teaching and learning
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