A resource area in an early childhood classroom can foster children's learning by providing them with opportunities to use a wide variety of materials in a wide range of contexts. This digest offers suggestions concerning resource rooms in early childhood classrooms and discusses issues relevant to children's play. Many classroom areas can be converted into a resource space. For example, pine shelving can be installed in a walk-in closet to hold props. Wooden fruit boxes and cardboard boxes from grocery stores can be used as storage containers. Items discarded by stores and items brought in by parents can be used as props. Once the resource room is set up, children can use the items in it for exploratory play. The items in the resource room may spark their imagination, leading to elaborate construction plans and complex play behavior. The teacher's role in such an environment is that of a facilitator who collaborates with the children in determining the curriculum. In this collaboration, teachers do not try to prevent children from making errors. Instead, children are allowed to use problem-solving approaches to correct their errors and stimulate their thinking skills. Children's ability to pretend, which plays a part in learning to read and do mathematics, is also developed during play. The use of a resource room or area fosters collaboration among the children, and this collaboration helps the children develop confidence in their abilities and skills. (BC)