How to handle “gun” play
It’s hard to spend much time around a preschool — and we as parent participators at ECPC spend plenty — and not encounter the issue of kids playing at fighting and shooting. It’s almost automatic to interpret these games in grownup terms (“we don’t shoot people!”), but it is, after all, child’s play. And, as…
Research supports play-based learning
Recent child development research indicates that academic preschool may be harming children’s ability to think creatively. This research supports play-based early learning like the El Cerrito Preschool Cooperative has offered for decades. The article below discusses cutting-edge studies about why child-led play actually supports long-term learning. Why Preschool Shouldn’t Be Like School New research shows that…

Must-read article: “Give childhood back to children”
We read an excellent article recently on play and education. The beginning is excerpted below, but we highly recommend you click the link to read the whole article. Give childhood back to children: if we want our offspring to have happy, productive and moral lives, we must allow more time for play, not less Because…