Many early childhood professionals recommend the use of learning centers in classrooms for young children (Kostelnik, Soderman, & Whiren, 2004). Centers provide children with opportunities for making choices, working with others, being involved in hands-on activities, and becoming fully engaged in learning. In contrast, traditional classroom formats may discourage children's active engagement in learning, prevent them from taking responsibility for their behavior, and make going to school a generally unpleasant experience. This article describes an undergraduate early childhood education course, titled "Play and Creativity," in which students visit two early childhood classrooms, one in a learning center and one in a traditional arrangement. The students then compare the two using specific criteria: (1) Children's behavior; (2) Efficient use of the teacher's and children's time; (3) Children's level of power sharing in the classroom; (4) The teacher's role in supporting children's playful learning; (5) The inclusion of art, music, and/or physical movement; (6) Freedom to move around the classroom; and (7) Evidence of children's learning in the academic areas.