As a structural element of education reform, early learning standards shape the content of instructional curriculum, set the goals of professional development, and establish the focus of outcomes assessment. Many early childhood teachers are concerned that the standards movement and its narrowing of educational goals are pushing aside classroom learning through play in favor of more didactic forms of instruction. This article proposes to reconcile constructive play with the standards movement. The authors present three key principles, derived from their own experiences, that explain why developmentally appropriate constructive play is an ideal instructional strategy for meeting early learning standards. A chart identifies connections between Arizona early learning standards and research-supported constructive play.