Getting Started with Guided Play
To begin integrating guided play, the key is to start small, build confidence, and document learning intentionally. Rather than overhauling a curriculum or classroom environment, educators can identify a content area or part of the day where hands-on exploration feels feasible; for example, a kindergarten math center for pattern making or a second-grade science investigation station. Then, they can commit to one week of intentional observation, with guided play and learning goals in mind. What do they see happening? What is surprising? What do children understand that existing assessment might miss? Educators can make academic connections visible to themselves, administrators, and families by sharing lesson plans, center labels, or anchor charts. This can show how learning through guided play aligns with learning standards. When my principal questioned the puppet corner, what changed was how I named and connected it to literacy goals.
Educators can also use different tools and techniques to observe and document children’ s engagement and learning. They can capture photos of structures, record 15-second conversation clips, or jot down questions children ask, then review weekly to identify patterns and next steps. They can share these moments with families through different avenues, such as newsletters or family communication apps. When families see their children problem solving during play, they can become advocates for playful pedagogy. Educators can also seek colleagues who share their commitment to developmentally appropriate practices. Finally, they can consider engaging in a book study featuring a text about intentional teaching, guided play, or developmentally appropriate practice. They can also observe each other’ s classrooms and talk about what is working and what could be changed, or they can share challenges over lunchtime discussions. Professional learning communities provide both practical strategies and emotional sustenance when external pressures mount( Yang et al. 2023).
Ultimately, guided play challenges educators, leaders, and others to rethink the architecture of early learning— not as a tug-of-war between play and academics, but as an integrated model where purposeful, playful learning fosters learning and developmental goals. The question is no longer whether play belongs in early childhood classrooms. Rather, it is whether educators will reclaim it as the foundation upon which meaningful, joyful early education is built.
About the Author
Sierra Dinges, EdD, is a department lead and professor at Red Rocks Community College in Lakewood, Colorado. Her work focuses on playful learning, pedagogical leadership, and policy. She advances equitable, research-informed practices that connect early learning systems across the birth – 5 to K – 12 continua.
References
Cekaite, A., & M. Simonsson. 2023.“ Guided Play Supporting Immigrant Children’ s Participation and Bilingual Development in Preschools.” International Journal of Early Childhood 55: 403 – 20. doi. org / 10.1007 / s13158-023-00370-1.
Colorado Department of Education. 2019.“ Colorado Academic Standards in Reading, Writing, and Communicating.” Colorado Academic Standards. Colorado Department of Education. ed. cde. state. co. us / standardsandinstruction / standards.
Colorado Department of Education. 2026.“ Colorado Academic Standards in Science.” Colorado Academic Standards. Colorado Department of Education. cde. state. co. us / standardsandinstruction / standards.
Gauvreau, A. N., M. J. Lohmann, & K. A. Hovey. 2019.“ Using a Universal Design for Learning Framework to Provide Multiple Means of Representation in the Early Childhood Classroom.” The Journal of Special Education Apprenticeship 8( 1). doi. org / 10.58729 / 2167-3454.1083.
Hirsh-Pasek, K., H. S. Hadani, E. Blinkoff, & R. M. Golinkoff. 2020.“ A New Path to Education Reform: Playful Learning Promotes 21st Century Skills in School and Beyond.” Policy brief. The Brookings Institution. brookings. edu / wp-content / uploads / 2020 / 10 / Big-Ideas _ Hirsh-Pasek _ PlayfulLearning. pdf.
Little, M. 2023.“ The Alignment Agenda: Examining the Movement to Bridge the Early Childhood and K – 12 Sectors.” AERA Open 9: 23328584231211868. doi. org / 10.1177 / 23328584231211868.
Masterson, M. 2022.“ Planning and Implementing an Engaging Curriculum to Achieve Meaningful Goals.” In Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children from Birth Through Age 8, eds. S. Friedman, B. L. Wright, & M. Masterson. 4th ed. NAEYC.
28 Young Children
Fall 2026