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That play and literacy share common ground is a strongly held idea, although it has been difficult to prove in early literacy development and learning. While primary research indicates a positive relationship, it is at different levels of evidence for influencing early literacy policy and practice. Using a critical appraisal process, this article describes the best available evidence from a corpus of play-literacy studies. A total of 17 studies were appraised for (a) levels of evidence, (b) strength of design and (c) worth to practice findings. The resulting evaluation describes three major domains of the play-literacy relationship, quality evidence in each that shows the effects of play on literacy skills, and research still needed to demonstrate the relevance of each for early literacy. Further use of the critical appraisal process in the play-literacy field is recommended to build a strong body of high-level evidence that impacts early literacy practice