Why do sharks live in salt water?
Because pepper makes them sneeze.

What is the difference between a fish and a piano?
You can’t tuna fish.

What washes up on really small beaches?
Microwaves.

“This book offers new ways of looking at what it means to be smart and how to get there. Innovative, creative, useful, there’s a huge amount of wisdom between these covers! I loved this book.”
—Janet Gonzalez-Mena, Professor Emerita, Napa Valley College

“The world is so full of a number of things,” wrote poet Robert Louis Stevenson—and babies and toddlers are out to explore them all.

Practicing what it preaches, Playing to Get Smart will be a playful reading experience for teachers and parents alike. With jokes, riddles, and stories sprinkled throughout, the authors show how important play is for children of all ethnic and socioeconomic groups, from birth to age 8.

This provocative challenge to teachers and parents of young children demonstrates why play is the most effective way for children to develop critical life skills such as thinking creatively and social problem solving. It explains why teachers need to provide opportunities for quality play and why parents need to understand the benefits of play for their children.

Elizabeth Jones is a member of the faculty in Human Development at Pacific Oaks College and Children’s School in Pasadena, California. Her books include The Play’s the Thing and Master Players. Renatta M. Cooper is the Education Coordinator for the Los Angeles County Office of Child Care, and a Commissioner for First 5 LA.