SUPPORTING PLAY-BASED SCIENCE & ENGINEERING IN EARLY CHILDHOOD
Embedded Files
Articles
Articles
Seeing Science Through Play: Three lenses to enhance early learning
Science and Children, Nov/Dec 2025 (Volume 62, Issue 6), pages 38-43
Lisa Kenyon, Rachel A. Larimore, Maranda Chung, Leonard Kenyon, & Hildah Makori
Pumping Up Curiosity: How child-led play fuels early science learning
Science and Children, May/June 2025 (Volume 62, Issue 3), pages 58-64
Kate Cook Whitt, Aaron Beaumont & Jessica Lewis
https://doi.org/10.1080/00368148.2025.2482267
Reassessing Recess: Recognizing and Supporting Scientific and Engineering Practices in Play
Science and Children, March/April 2023 (Volume 60, Issue 4), pages 76-82
Alison Riley Miller & Martha Eshoo
https://www.nsta.org/science-and-children/science-and-children-marchapril-2023/reassessing-recess
Blogs
Blogs
DRK-12, CADRE Leave Lasting Impact on STEM Education in Maine
MMSA Blog, October 2025
Devin Shepherd
https://mmsa.org/drk-12-cadre-leave-lasting-impact-on-stem-education-in-maine/
Developing, Testing, and Refining Professional Learning Materials to Support Play-Based Science
MMSA Blog, January 2025
Maranda Chung
https://mmsa.org/play-based-science/
Reflecting on a Year of SciEPlay Professional Learning
MMSA Blog, September 2024
Devin Shepherd
https://mmsa.org/scieplay-professional-learning-retrospective/
SciEPlay Partner Spotlight: Dr. Rachel Larimore on Nature-Based Learning
MMSA Blog, May 2024
Maranda Chung & Rachel Larimore
https://mmsa.org/scieplay-rachel-larimore/
Transforming Early Science Education Through Play
MMSA Blog, April 2024
Maranda Chung
https://mmsa.org/scieplay-transforming-early-science-education-through-play/
Press Releases
Press Releases
July 15, 2022 – Press Release from Bowdoin News: Bowdoin Receives NSF Grant to Expand STEM Education for Maine Preschoolers and Kindergarteners
July 18, 2022 – Press Release from Portland Press Herald: Bowdoin, math and science alliance receive more than $2.25 million to expand STEM education for Maine preschoolers, Kindergarteners.
Conference Presentations
Conference Presentations
SciEPlay: Supporting Play-based Science and Engineering in Early Childhood
National Science Teaching Association (NSTA), National Conference, Minneapolis, MN
Conference Presentation
November 13, 2025
Maranda Chung, Hildah Makori & Heather Bowen
SciEPlay: Nurturing Play-based Science and Engineering in Early Childhood
Maine Association for the Education of Young Children (AEYC), Statewide Early Childhood Education Conference, Portland, ME
Conference Presentation
October 25, 2025
Maranda Chung, Kim Charmatz, Jess Frazee & Erin Lemont
Seeing the Science and Engineering in Young Children's Play
International Play Association (IPA-USA) Conference, Louisville, KY
Conference Presentation
October 23, 2025
Rachel Larimore
SciEPlay: Nurturing Play-based Science and Engineering in Early Childhood
Maine Department of Education, Annual Summit, Waterville, ME
Conference Presentation
August 6, 2025
Maranda Chung, Alison Miller, and Hildah Makori
Innovation Hackathon: Try It, Test It, Learn It
Discovery Research K-12 (DRK-12) Principal Investigators (PI) Meeting, Arlington, VA
Conference Presentation
June 11, 2025
Maranda Chung, Shreyashi Halder, Marisol Kevelson, and Jamie Mikeska
Bridging Preschool and Kindergarten Science: Exploring Play-based Engagement with Scientific and Engineering Practices in Early Learning Environments
DRK-12 PI Meeting, Arlington, VA
Poster Presentation
June 10, 2025
Alison Miller, Lauren Poniatowski, Hildah Makori, Rachel Larimore & Maranda Chung
Exploring Early-years Educators’ Conceptions of Science, Engineering, and Play Following a Professional Learning Intervention
American Educational Research Association (AERA) 2025 Conference, Denver, CO
Conference Presentation
April 24, 2025
Hildah Makori, Lauren Saenz, Sadie Smith, Rachel Larimore & Alison Miller
Playful Sensemaking: Nurturing Science and Engineering in Early Childhood
National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) 2025 Conference, Philadelphia, PA
Conference Presentation
March 28, 2025
Maranda Chung
Enhancing Early Childhood Science and Engineering Practices through Professional Learning with the SciEPlay SEP Toolbox
National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST), International Annual Conference, National Harbor, MD
Conference Presentation
March 23, 2025
Lisa Kenyon, Rachel Larimore, Maranda Chung, Hildah Makori, Alison Miller, Lauren Poniatowski & Sadie Smith
Validating the Science and Engineering Practices Observation Protocol (SciEPOP) for Play-based Early Learning Environments
National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST), International Annual Conference, National Harbor, MD
Conference Presentation
March 23, 2025
Alison Miller, Lauren Poniatowski, Hildah Makori, Sadie Smith, Lisa Kenyon, Rachel Larimore, Maranda Chung
Designing and Refining Professional Learning to Empower Early Childhood Educators in Science and Engineering Practices Through Play-Based Learning
Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education (SITE) Conference, Orlando, FL
Conference Presentation
March 19, 2025
Hildah K. Makori
Incorporating Loose Parts to Ignite Playful STEM Learning
MMSA STEM Professional Development Retreat, Newry, ME
Conference Presentation
March 14, 2025
Jessica Lewis
Supporting Play-Based Science and Engineering in Early Childhood
MMSA STEM Professional Development Retreat, Newry, ME
Conference Presentation
March 14, 2025
Maranda Chung
Designing and Refining Professional Learning to Empower Early Childhood Educators in Science and Engineering Practices Through Play-Based Learning
Association for Science Teacher Education (ASTE), 2025 International Conference, Long Beach, CA
Conference Presentation
January 17, 2025
Hildah Makori, Lisa Kenyon, Rachel Larimore, Maranda Chung & Len Kenyon
Loose Parts: Let's Not Only Think Outside the Box, But Beyond It
Maine Association for the Education of Young Children (AEYC), Play Date Conference, Orono, ME
Conference Presentation
October 26, 2024
Jessica Lewis, Lauren Orff & Aaron Beaumont
Seeing the Science and Engineering in Children's Play
International Play Association (IPA-USA) Conference, Greenville, South Carolina
Conference Presentation
September 26, 2024
Rachel Larimore
Exploring and Extending Children’s Play-based Engagement with Science and Engineering Practices
European Early Childhood Education Research Association (EECERA) Conference, Symposium on Science & STEM in Play, Brighton, England
Conference Presentation
September 5, 2024
Alison Miller
Nurturing Natural Curiosity in Science and Engineering Throughout the Day
Maine Association for the Education of Young Children (AEYC), Statewide Early Childhood Education Conference, Portland, ME
Conference Presentation
May 3, 2024
Jessica Lewis & Kate Cook
Loose Parts: How Teachers Set the Stage for STEM Learning in Outdoor Play
Maine Association for the Education of Young Children (AEYC), Statewide Early Childhood Education Conference, Portland, ME
Conference Presentation
May 3, 2024
Martha Eshoo & Alison Miller
Deepening understanding of NGSS science and engineering practices through PLAY
Maine Science Teachers Association, Science for All Conference, St. George, ME
Conference Presentation
April 27, 2024
Lisa Kenyon & Hildah Makori
Using the Science and Engineering Practices Observation Protocol (SciEPOP) to identify children’s engagement with science and engineering in early learning environments
National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST), International Annual Conference, Denver, CO
Pre-Conference Workshop
March 17, 2024
Alison Miller, Lauren Saenz, Hildah Makori, Kate Cook & Rachel Larimore
Supporting Play-Based Engagement with Science and Engineering Practices in Early Learning Environments
National Science Teaching Association (NSTA), National Conference, Atlanta, GA
Conference Presentation
March 2023
Maranda Chung, Alison Miller & Len Kenyon
Recognizing, Deepening, and Extending Play-Based Engagements with Science and Engineering Practices in Early Learning Environments
The Association for Science Teaching Education (ASTE), International Conference, Salt Lake City, UT
Poster Presentation
January 2023
Kate Cook & Lisa Kenyon
Exploring Science and Engineering Practices in Play
Maine Association for the Education of Young Children (AEYC), Statewide Early Childhood Education Conference, Bangor, ME
Conference Presentation
October 2022
Alison R. Miller & Lauren P. Saenz
Project Partners
Project Partners
Project Funder
Project Funder
This project is funded by the National Science Foundation, grants #2201673 and #2201674. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in these materials are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
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