If you are employed in a state that uses a registry to track professional development hours, you will be able to provide your registry ID (Stars, MOPID, Registry or other ECE ID#) after you have completed the quiz for the course. If you pass the quiz we will report your course completion to the state registry using the registry ID that you provide.

Explore the importance of play as a foundation for children’s learning and development. Designed for early childhood professionals, this self-paced course examines the five main areas of child development and how children strengthen these skills through free play and interactions with others. Through practical examples and printable resources, participants will gain a deeper understanding of how play supports gross motor, fine motor, cognitive, social-emotional, and speech and language development. Course Length – 2.5 hours.

This course helps answer the following questions:

• What are the five main areas of child development?

• How do children strengthen their gross motor skills through play?

• How do children strengthen their fine motor skills through play?

• How do children strengthen their cognitive skills through play?

• How do children strengthen their social and emotional skills through play?

• How do children strengthen their speech and language skills through play?

Participants who successfully complete this course will be able to:

• Identify the five major areas of child development and explain how they are interconnected with 80% accuracy on the course assessment.

• Develop a free-play plan that includes at least three experiences that collectively support all five developmental areas.

• Create a family communication that includes at least three examples of how play supports children’s learning and development.