When Play Isn't Fun / Easy Set

Play is vital to children's overall healthy development. Play can be fun, but sometimes it is painful or discouraging. Children might have difficulty joining play or participating in group play, or they might fight or feel left out. These workbooks provide information to help you uncover strategies to address common challenges in group play and support children who are struggling to enter and sustain play.

When Play Isn't Fun

Play is essential for children's development and as they learn life skills. But some children might face challenges when playing with others. Conflicts can erupt over sharing toys, taking turns, and feeling left out. Despite those moments, children want to play together. With your support and guidance, children can learn how to engage in productive play, resolve conflicts, and enjoy group play.

This workbook outlines strategies to create an engaging play environment, provides information to help you understand skill development, and suggests ways you can encourage children's growth through rich play. It also explains common challenges children might have during group play—like being unengaged in dramatic play, having conflicts with each other, or playing violently—and approaches you can use to address them. Use this interactive workbook to thoughtfully respond to play challenges in a way that can open up opportunities for children.

When Play Isn't Easy

Play is key to young children's development and one of the most influential ways they learn. Sometimes, though, play isn't easy for children. It may be hard to fit in, get along, or collaborate with their peers. With your help, children can learn more effective strategies to engage in productive play.

This interactive workbook encourages thought, reflection, and discussion as you carefully observe play, identify where children's strengths and struggles are, and offer strategies to help them improve their play skills. It provides a detailed look at the Play Checklist introduced in the authors' book Play: The Pathway from Theory to Practice, along with an exploration of how play connects to early learning standards. Use this workbook to deepen your understanding of how developmental challenges affect children's play skills and help you identify where a child is having problems and form goals for the child—making play an easier, more enjoyable experience.

Set includes one copy each of When Play Isn't Fun and When Play Isn't Easy.