When Play Meets Purpose: Inviting Preschoolers into Community Care
By Caitlan Reese Killian
There’s nothing like the magic of melting a hot chocolate bomb with a toddler.
On a recent snow day, I leaned over a mug at the kitchen counter with my nephew, our heads tucked close together. We drizzled warm milk over the chocolate shell, giggling as it slowly dimpled, melting little by little, before cracking open to reveal all the goodies inside. (This particular bomb was filled with Bluey-shaped marshmallows- oh the excitement!)
Play is never “just” play.
As an elementary teacher with a heart for STEAM Learning (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math), I lived for moments like these. I spent 10 years in the classroom bringing books alive with everything from computer coding to debate circles to giant art projects in the hallway. And the best part? Kids just thought we were having fun. Playing in glitter. Playing on the ipad. Playing by acting and using silly voices. But we were learning and solving real-world problems, one delightful day at a time.
Something most people don’t realize is that STEAM isn’t just science or art—it’s problem-solving, empathy, curiosity.
By adding the arts to STEM, you crack open a new world of possibilities for little learners. (The Bluey marshmallows to your hot chocolate, if you will!) Art means color and texture. Art means heart and feelings. Art means empathy and wonder, and connecting to your neighbor in a whole new way.
Kids learn best when learning is hands-on and meaningful.
This is true with numbers and letters, of course, but also with deep, emotional topics that help them become amazing people. Play helps bridge childhood and emotional intelligence in ways we wouldn’t notice if we weren’t looking: Resilience starts with trying again. Generosity is built by sharing. Empathy is fostered by noticing our neighbors. And those skills are the ways we help kids grow up to solve real world problems with compassion.
When Play Teaches Us to Care
Caring for others creates opportunities for families to learn together, and it gently invites little ones into their own community. These moments of care offer a new way for children to participate in the world they know. Preschoolers can understand what it means to help and care for their neighbors.
At this age, caring isn’t about fixing problems or finding solutions—it’s about noticing others. Simple acts like hugs, conversations, making cards, or cleaning up after a game all help children notice and respond. And when kids notice, they learn.
In the classroom, years ago, I led an afterschool club called “Maker Girls.” This was a place where girls explored STEAM and stretched their creativity. No, we weren’t swirling mysterious beakers in a lab. We didn’t even break out a calculator! We made things. And we showered our little school with love. The girls baked cookies for school staff, created green screen puppet theaters for kindergarteners, and brought smiles to the school board. We constantly noticed our neighbors and served our community- one project at a time!
Why I Add Such an Emphasis On Community
I care about community because my community has cared for me.
I was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 29. It came back twice in a short period of time, and now I live with stage four breast cancer every day. I had never known the love and support of such community until I needed it. I had donated my time and resources around town, but had no idea of the impact each action actually made. All of a sudden, I was the person who needed help. Meals, prayers, joy and love carried me through years of treatment, and continue to support me today as I navigate a new season of my life.
I created Still Good Co. to bring awareness and support to metastatic (stage IV) breast cancer. I wanted to share what I always needed on my own cancer journey: Reminders that no matter what happens in life, my value does not change. My body is still good. Life is still good. I am still good…even here. Even in cancer.
It’s possible to live a beautiful life in scary places because God goes with us. I create resources to help women with breast cancer navigate their own journeys with faith and resilience, and sell apparel to fundraise for stage IV research. We are inviting the world into a conversation about our unchanging value as children of God, changing the narrative of breast cancer from “fighting” to loving.
As I connect the dots through the various seasons of my life- before, during and after breast cancer- I know this:
Hope, kindness, and resilience are learned early.
You don’t have to be touched by cancer to love people who are. Kids can have big hearts for the people in their community, noticing neighbors and sharing with friends. The imaginative play we use to instill literacy and number sense can ALSO nurture their sensitive hearts and help them grow up into people that make the world a better place.
If this month’s kit sparks a conversation, a question, or a moment of care at your table, that’s enough. Community learning doesn’t have to be big to be meaningful—it just has to be shared.
This February, I invite you to join me in a special initiative within Our Little Peas Learning Kits.
Alongside the beautiful Community-themed activities, each February kit includes a small offering from Still Good Co. Inside, you’ll find a Valentine’s sticker, an affirmation card, and a brief fact sheet from Metavivor—an organization dedicated to funding research for metastatic breast cancer.
This is a gentle opportunity to introduce big ideas in age-appropriate ways, and to invite your little one into what it means to care for others.
Here are a few simple ways families might engage together:
• Talk with your child about how some neighbors get sick, and how doctors and researchers work hard to create the medicine people need.
• Share that being a good neighbor means noticing others and helping when we can. By purchasing a Learning Kit this month, your family has participated in a fundraiser supporting Stage IV breast cancer research.
• Choose a special place to use the Valentine’s sticker as a reminder that loving those around us helps our communities grow.
• Read the affirmation card together and place it somewhere visible—a reminder that we are all still good, even here.
For more about Still Good Co., my story, or the heart behind this collaboration, you’ll find resources below.
Caitlan is a writer and Metastatic Breast Cancer thriver. She began blogging after a devastating diagnosis in 2019 but found healing through words. Her writing encourages women to see and celebrate God’s goodness in all areas of life. She publishes the “Goodness & Grace” email newsletter and hosts the “Goodness & Grace” podcast. Her small business, Still Good Co, is an apparel line that raises awareness and funding for metastatic breast cancer research. You can find Caitlan snuggling her fluffy cat, Moo, or day tripping with her sweet husband, Andrew, looking forward to the future.
Learn More: www.caitlanreesekillian.com/stillgoodco
Visit the Shop: https://caitlanreesekillian.myshopify.com/
Follow Online: @still_good_co and @caitlanreesekillian
