Just a few steps away from the classrooms in which they are learning the theories and curriculums that support the ‘learning through play’ tenet, our students are able to see those same theories come alive. Pamela Peck Discovery Space (PPDS), the living laboratory, offers our students hands-on experiences and a true-blue opportunity to observe learning through play as it happens. Children from 0 to 8 years of age with their caregivers become unsuspecting teachers to our students. Our students observe carefully as families become enveloped in the world of play, they see how play is a holistic endeavour as children immerse themselves in activities that are aimed to develop their minds and bodies. YCCECE students are able to observe much more than play principles, they can observe family dynamics as they unfold, they can observe physical, cognitive, social/emotional, and language skills developing right in front of their eyes. Students can also learn about free choice and child led. Free play, to name a few of the best practices, is highly recommended by experts in the field of ECE. As an assistant professor I have found having access to PPDS is an incredible opportunity for our students to learn not only about play but, in fact, about many other important ECE principles and best practices. Our students are surely better equipped to enter a competitive workforce once they leave us because we talk the talk and walk the walk about play!