Investing in Our Youngest Readers: The Impact of Play-Based Literacy
Teton County Library’s Youth Services team believes that learning begins long before a child picks up their first book.
“Early literacy is built on a foundation of play, exploration, and community,” says Marisa Laugen, Youth Services Senior Library Assistant.
When Marisa attended a recent American Library Association (ALA) conference, she learned how dynamic, rotating play spaces were transforming early learning in other communities. It inspired her to make play-based literacy accessible to every family in Teton County.
By transforming the library’s Early Literacy Room into a creative, cohesive, and themed playroom, this project bridges the gap between play and foundational literacy. “Sure, these toys may just look like fun objects,” said Marisa, “but they are also developmentally appropriate tools and critical building blocks for the brain. Creative play can even shape children's speaking and math comprehension.”
The Vision: “Dinner and a Show”
To bring this theme to life, the space now features:
A custom food truck and picnic tables: Kids can build, serve, and ‘sell’ tacos using durable, high-quality play toys.
A puppet theatre: encouraging narrative skills, imagination, and oral language development.
A walk through May Park: The walls are adorned with bright, familiar scenes of Jackson, inspired by May Park
Every item is curated to ensure durability and safety, but most importantly FUN!
The initial community response has been overwhelmingly positive. From kids learning simple shapes and names of taco ingredients to rehearsing their puppet stories, the Early Literacy Room is already a bustling center of connection and learning.
The Youth Services Team reported that one young patron specifically asks his caregiver to bring him to the library after school so he can “make tacos.”
The Goals: Inclusivity & Access
A core pillar of this project is inclusivity. Every sign, prompt, and labeled object is bilingual in English and Spanish. For instance, the food truck includes prompts like, “Can you make this taco? / ¿Puedes hacer este taco?" This ensures that both children and their caregivers, like families attending the library’s adult English classes, can engage together.
For families who don’t ski, Jackson’s winter can be long, and access to play spaces can be limited. The Early Literacy Room serves as a vibrant, warm, and free sanctuary, making high-quality play accessible to every economic demographic in our community. Plus, there is no scheduling involved; the Early Literacy room remains open whenever the library is open.
All ages and groups are welcome in the Early Literacy Room. While the room is designed with preschoolers in mind, only one rule applies: if you can play, you can stay. All ages are welcome as long as respect for others is practiced. This space is for individuals AND groups, many preschools use the space for dedicated ‘play session’ field trips.
The Outcome: A Rotating Learning Lab
Moving forward, the Youth Services team will transition the theme of the room twice a year- once at the beginning of winter and then at the beginning of summer- accompanied by a deep, top-to-bottom clean. Ensuring that this space remains fresh, engaging, and a continuous draw for returning families.
Some fun new potential themes may include a bookmobile, firetruck, and recycling truck!
Why your gifts to Teton County Library matter.
By funding this project, our donors have helped establish the library as a permanent, accessible base for early childhood development for every child in Teton County, regardless of background or income. In a small community like ours, having a dedicated, bilingual, and free indoor literacy space isn’t just a luxury- it’s a transformative resource for the next generation of learners. Next time you’re at the library, be sure to swing by the youth wing with your little one to experience this new feature- and don’t forget to pull up a seat at the food truck and order a few ‘tacos’ while you’re there!
This project was made possible by the generous donors of the Teton County Library Foundation & Friends. Thank you for investing in our community’s future.