This episode is part two on creativity with Beverly Beck, the creator of 'Happy Little Humans.' With over 20 years of experience in early childhood education, Beverly combines her passion for social-emotional well-being and creativity to inspire children through art and play. Her approach emphasizes compassion, curiosity, and connection, fostering confidence in children to grow in their own unique ways. Beyond education, Beverly is a mom of three, podcaster, entrepreneur, and award-winning...

This episode is part two on creativity with Beverly Beck, the creator of 'Happy Little Humans.' With over 20 years of experience in early childhood education, Beverly combines her passion for social-emotional well-being and creativity to inspire children through art and play. Her approach emphasizes compassion, curiosity, and connection, fostering confidence in children to grow in their own unique ways. Beyond education, Beverly is a mom of three, podcaster, entrepreneur, and award-winning...

This episode’s guest is Beverly Beck, the creator of 'Happy Little Humans.' With over 20 years of experience in early childhood education, Beverly combines her passion for social-emotional well-being and creativity to inspire children through art and play. Her approach emphasizes compassion, curiosity, and connection, fostering confidence in children to grow in their own unique ways. Beyond education, Beverly is a mom of three, podcaster, entrepreneur, and award-winning artist, making her...

Dr. Jasmine Moses is an Anti-Bias Early Childhood Educator dedicated to helping parents and teachers raise and teach the next generation. With a background as an early childhood teacher and Non-profit community worker, she is passionate about promoting fairness and equity from a young age. Her work aims to create inclusive and respectful environments for all children and their families. She offers resources, professional development, and support for implementing Anti-Bias and Anti-Racist...

Jesse Coffino is an educator, author, translator, dad and CEO of Anji Education, Inc. The guy who has spent the last decade introducing True Play and the practices of Anji Play to the world outside of China.  Key Takeaways:  Reflective Practice: Teachers benefit significantly from observing and reflecting on videos of children's play. This practice helps educators understand and improve their teaching strategies. Cultural Context of Napping: Kristen and Jesse talk about how in China, extended...

Samuel and Kisa are fierce childhood advocates and the authors of Rethinking Weapon Play in Early Childhood. Key Takeaways:  Reflect on Decisions: Educators should regularly examine their reasons for saying "no" to certain play, ensuring they align with the children's best interests. Value Unrestricted Play: Allow diverse forms of play, like weapon play, to support children's learning and development, while maintaining safety. Recognize Adult Biases: Avoid letting personal traumas or biases...

Kara is a Play and Mindset Coach and your partner-in-fun on the path to healing perfectionism and rekindling your playful, creative spirit. Kara’s message is that play is anything but fluffy; it’s the secret sauce to more health, confidence, creativity, and joy (science says so too!). It's also a powerful healing tool to help us release perfectionism and connect with our inner child. Key Takeaways:  The Importance of Play in Adulthood: Play is essential not just for children but also for...

Anande Ferreira is a mama and pediatric occupational therapist with a special interest in playfulness and sensory integration. She has over 10 years experience supporting children and their families. Upon completion of her Masters degree focused on playfulness, she presented her research at the World Federation of Occupational Therapy Congress and has published in the Occupational Therapy International Journal. On this podcast Her and Kristen talk about what play looks like and what people's...

Beth Duttera from Aut2ask, an autistic woman-led initiative uplifting autistic voices. Her support survey has over 2k voices from the autism community (inc educators!) speaking on how the current system and supports are failing us all. Listen as Kristen asks questions about autism to help others have a better understanding.  Key Takeaways:  Teacher Training Deficit: Kristen and Beth talk about how many teachers lack formal training about autism, hindering their ability to support autistic...

Deborah MacNamara is a counselor, on Faculty at the Neufeld Institute and author of Rest Play Grow: Making Sense of Preschoolers (or anyone who acts like one), and Nourish: Connection, Food, and Caring for our Kids (and everyone else we love). Join Deborah and I as we tackle all things boredom.  Key Takeaways:  Boredom Boosts Creativity: Boredom fosters creativity and self-initiated play in children, encouraging imagination. Parental and Educator Roles: Parents and educators should guide...

Alicia Highland and I talk about ways to make environments more inclusive and also touch on what that can look like in nature based settings. Alicia completed her Master's in Curriculum and Instruction, with specializations in Environmental Education and Nonprofit Management, and a Master's in Elementary Education. Now that she is taking a break from the classroom to raise her two littles, Alicia is focusing her energies into creating a nature-based education community online and in her...

Listen as Prerna and I pick up from where we left off from after our last episode together (Episode 56). We talk about what happens when there is an absence of play and how it can affect behaviors in different ways.  Key Takeaways:  Stress and Escalation of Behaviors: Kristen and Prerna talk about how the absence of play increases stress for both children and adults, leading to heightened and disruptive behaviors. Play is a natural way for children to process their emotions and reduce...

Join me as I learn a little more on what the Reggio Emilia Approach looks like with Jayda Rivera, the visionary behind Reggio Roots. With her work at a Playschool inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach, she aspires to nurture, develop, and guide individuals and educators who share her ideologies.  Key Takeaways:  Understanding the Reggio Emilia Approach: Jayda talks with Kristen about how the Reggio Emilia approach emphasizes the image of the child as an active participant in their own...

In this episode, I am talking with Mariana Carazo, a Columbia University graduate with a Master's in Curriculum and Teaching and over 20 years in education. Currently, she pioneers a play-based homeschooling approach for her children, embodying her belief in reimagining education. Mariana actively advocates for play as a transformative tool in 21st-century education, both at home and in traditional schooling environments.  Key Takeaways:  The Importance of Play in Learning: Kristen and...

In this episode, I am talking to my good friend Tiffany Pearsall, a passionate play advocate and the founder of Play Frontier, a groundbreaking nonprofit childcare center. Join us as we chat about what child led learning and Emergent Curriculum looks like in play based settings. Key Takeaways:  "Greatest Hits" Approach: Kristen and Tiffany talk about how creating successful activities helps teachers anticipate and respond to children's interests and what child led learning and emergent...

Today’s episode features an inspiring conversation with Tiffany Pearsall, a passionate play advocate and the founder of Play Frontier, a groundbreaking nonprofit childcare center. Join us as we chat about Tiffany’s journey, from the challenges of relocation to the exciting moment she secured a million-dollar grant to bring her vision to life. Learn about the creative process behind crafting a space that fosters joy, growth, and endless possibilities for children.  Key Takeaways:  Innovative...

Today I am chatting with Faigie Kobree, a former preschool and kindergarten teacher, director, and now an elementary school art teacher using the choice based TAB method. She also educates teachers how to switch from copycat crafts to creative art. Key Takeaways: Process-based Learning: Kristen and Faigie emphasize learning through exploration, curiosity, and trial-and-error rather than focusing solely on the end product. Messy Play: They encourage others to embrace the messiness of art for...

Today I am chatting with Reagan Fulton, Founder of Playful Acre and advocate for integrating play into daily life for all ages. We chat about the importance of adults including play into their own lives. It is essential not only for children, but for us too!   Key Takeaways:  Play is Essential for All Ages: Reagan and Kristen emphasize the importance of play not only for children but also for adults. Play is seen as a vital aspect of life that contributes to well-being and...

Today I am chatting with Prerna Richards, an early childhood education consultant and keynote speaker with 38 years of experience in ECE. Prerna started her own company called Together We Grow, providing professional development, behavior coaching and NAEYC consulting. She believes in empowering and uplifting educators and does that through training and strength-based behavior coaching. She’s a firm believer that when we know better, we do better. In this episode, we will chat about the...

Today I am chatting with Kayla Souza who opened a small play and nature based preschool that she runs from my home and backyard after working for 20 years in traditional classrooms. In this episode we talk about one of my current favorite things to talk about and that is letting go and freeing the glue!  Key Takeaways:  Getting Creative With Glue: Kristen and Kayla talk about ways to encourage children's creativity by providing a variety of materials for them to explore with glue, such as...

Today I am chatting with Jess Teixeira, a certified speech-language pathologist in Massachusetts who specializes in supporting gestalt language processors and their families through direct services and parent and professional consultations and coaching. Have you ever heard of Gestalt Language Processing? If not, you have to listen in because this information can help us understand children so much more!  Key Takeaways:  What is Gestalt Language Processing: Jess explains Gestalt language...

Today I am chatting with Stacy Benge, an early childhood speaker who approaches learning in the early years with practicality and common sense. Stacy is the author of the new book, The Whole Child Alphabet: How Young Children Actually Develop Literacy, published by Exchange Press. Listen as we talk about how young children actually develop literacy skills.  Key Takeaways:  Understanding the Role of Alphabet in Literacy: Stacy and Kristen emphasize that while the alphabet is important for...

Today I am chatting with Megg Thompson, a neuro-affirming behavior consultant that uses LOVE-based strategies to help kids be their absolute best! In this episode we talk about doing away with behavior charts, stickers, rewards, and more. Tune in to find out what we can do differently!  Key Takeaways: Behavior Charts and External Motivation: Megg and Kristen emphasize that behavior charts, stickers, tokens, and other external motivators diminish internal motivation in children. These...

Today I am chatting with Em about all things research! Emily Clark, M. Ed is an international early childhood education advocate with teaching certifications from both the US and the UK. She founded EarlyEdEm.com to bring real early childhood research to the real educators who need it most.   Key Takeaways:  Access to Research: Research can feel overwhelming and inaccessible to many educators, and Kristen and Em talk about how having access to research can empower teachers to deepen their...