Thank you for visiting the BUTTERCUP website.

My Story

My name is Marisa Macy. I am the John P. Ellbogen Foundation Professor of Early Childhood Education at the University of Wyoming. I am a mother, wife, daughter, sister, aunt, daughter-in-law, sister-in-law, friend, researcher, and writer. Understanding the importance of play became apparent to me when I was working on my doctorate at the University of Oregon. It was in my early childhood intervention program where I started experimenting with various instructional and assessment practices. What I noticed is that children learn when they play. Children's daily routines and environments provide the context for play.

I wanted to create a space where parents, researchers, and practitioners could join me in making the world more playful for children. BUTTERCUP is Building Upon Things in The Environment and Routines for Children's Ubiquitous Play. I hope you find the BUTTERCUP resources like podcast, blog, and professional development materials useful. Please reach out if you have any questions marisamacy@gmail.com

Here is a link to my CV.