On weekday mornings, early learning classrooms in Canyon County fill with sensory bins, storybooks, and young children racing between activities alongside their parents.  

It looks like a room full of families having fun, but behind every activity is the goal of helping parents understand that playing is one of the most powerful ways children learn. 

That’s the mission behind Play 2 Learn, a free early learning program for children ages 0 to 5 that meets once a week for 90 minutes at sites across Canyon County. The program brings children and parents together through play-based activities designed to build early learning skills. 

Play 2 Learn is part of Canyon County’s Early Learning Collaborative (ELC), one of 24 Early Learning Collaboratives across the state that make up Idaho AEYC’s network.  

The ELC framework brings together local partners to build quality early learning experiences. Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, each ELC develops programs and partnerships based on what families in their community need most.  

Idaho AEYC provides support for each ELC across the state to work toward a shared vision where every child in Idaho has access to high-quality early learning opportunities and enters school ready to succeed. 

For Kari Palmer, Project Manager of Canyon County ELC, that vision comes to life through Play 2 Learn. Palmer launched the program in 2024 and said it wouldn’t exist without the support of Idaho AEYC.  

“The support from Idaho AEYC was huge because I was able to identify a need in my community and make a difference without having to worry about income,” Palmer said.  

Idaho AEYC provides technical support to its ELCs across the state to identify local needs, build partnerships, and receive funding, which allows project managers like Palmer to focus on helping families in the community. 

"Kari has done such a phenomenal job at implementing and growing this program," said Jonny Carkin, Idaho AEYC's Director of Operations for Early Learning Collaboratives. 

"Not only does it help young children to develop skills through play, but it provides parents with the tools to actively support their child's development and provides a space for families to build community." 

That guidance from Idaho AEYCgave Palmer the resources and confidence to create a program to fill a need in her community. 

“There was a need for connection, community, and positive experiences for children. Play 2 Learn is perfect for bridging those gaps, especially for children who don’t get the opportunity to go to preschool or childcare,” Palmer said. 

The idea for Play 2 Learn came from a trip to Georgia, where Palmer discovered the program while traveling the country as part of an early learning cohort. She knew immediately she had to bring it home to Idaho.  

Palmer said the program helps children build executive function skills, and data from Georgia shows children are more ready to enter school after participating in Play 2 Learn for four years. 

“Kids are lighting up their brains,” said Palmer. “They’re building so many skills, and the pathway to a successful career in school is to have early positive experiences, and enjoy problem solving, exploring, and discovering.” 

Palmer originally imagined the program as a single weekly session, but instead demand grew quickly, and Play 2 Learn has now expanded to three locations across Nampa and Caldwell. 

The free program runs September through May and brings together children and their parents each week for stories, songs, sensory activities, imaginative play, outdoor exploration, and parent learning.  

"We're not doing worksheets, tracing names, or crafts — we just play, because that's what's really good for their brains," Palmer said.  

Play 2 Learn isn’t just for kids. For many parents, the program changes not only how their children learn, but how they think about learning itself.  

“I thought learning was doing worksheets or the alphabet. Now I see a different perspective on how she learns just by trying new things, experimenting, and playing with things we don’t have at home,” parent Magaly said.  

Magaly said her daughter has learned to share and clean up, and she values the diversity of events, saying it connects her with parents from all walks of life.  

"We have a community that is safe and understanding. When we're going through something rough, we now have a place to open up to other parents — I just love everything about Play 2 Learn,” Magaly said.  

The program builds early learning skills while also creating early intervention opportunities for children who need additional support to grow socially and emotionally.  

Another parent, Rosa, said that when she and her son first started attending, he was shy and wanted to hold on to every toy in the room. Now, he’s “really great” at sharing, cleaning up, counting, talking, and more. 

"One day, just an hour and a half, has made a huge difference for my son. He has learned so much, and I feel he's more ready for kindergarten," Rosa said.  

Play 2 Learn also complements Idaho AEYC's READY! for Kindergarten program, which provides families with hands-on learning kits and in-depth parent training to continue building school-readiness skills at home.  

As Play 2 Learn continues to grow, Palmer said the support from Idaho AEYC has allowed her to build new partnerships and apply for grants to expand the program further.  

“Everything we do is rooted in relationships. Being able to build a community in my ELC and create partnerships through it has made all the difference,” Palmer said.  

That relationship building recently helped Palmer secure a $100,000 grant from the Blue Cross Foundation to take Play 2 Learn on the road with a new mobile bus. The old school bus is currently being refurbished into a mobile play program for families in rural communities, expected to hit the road by March 2027. 

“There’s so many places where families don’t have transportation; children are at shelters, or they just don’t have access to quality early learning opportunities,” Palmer said. 

“We’re going to plant the bus in those areas, and anyone can come to Play 2 Learn.” 

Looking to the future, Palmer hopes to expand Play 2 Learn further across the state through Idaho AEYC’s ELC network to continue bringing families together to build trusted relationships.  

Idaho AEYC continues to invest in local leaders and community-driven solutions through its ELC network, so more Idaho families have access to the resources they need to help their children thrive. 

“I want to thank the people from Georgia and Idaho AEYC, as if these places did not exist, I wouldn’t have been able to do what I’ve done,” Palmer said.