Play is not extra, and it is not a break from learning. In this post, Dr. Cameron McCuaig explores why play is a child’s right, how authentic play supports real learning, and why schools should rethink where play belongs beyond kindergarten.

When teachers try something new in the classroom, they are usually not looking for a miracle. They are looking for signs. They want to know whether the room is becoming more teachable. They want to know whether conflict is changing. They want to know whether the language is landing. Most of all, they want to know whether the work is worth continuing when the day is still full, imperfect, and very real.