Today I’m chatting with Jerica and Jules from The Connected Child, two former early childhood educators with over 25 years of expertise working with children & families. Their mission is to equip families with strategies designed specifically for their needs to strengthen relationships and form a deeper bond with their children. We discuss how to nurture connection and the fine line between control and healthy boundaries. Key Takeaways: Shifting from Traditional Control to Child-Centered Bou...
Jan 08, 2024•45 min•Season 2Ep. 45
Today I’m chatting with Jean-Mari Dagarin, an advocate for play-based learning and developmentally appropriate practice (DAP). We define and explore the essence of DAP and its crucial role in childhood and how it fosters optimal learning environments for young children. Key Takeaways: Protecting Childhood: DAP, according to Jean Marie, revolves around honoring and safeguarding childhood. It prioritizes play, exploration, and child-led learning, creating an environment that respects and nurtures ...
Dec 11, 2023•30 min•Season 2Ep. 44
Today I’m chatting with Beverly Beck, the mastermind behind Happy Little Humans, and we’re talking about one of my favorite things: creativity. We chat about creative expression and its profound impact on the social-emotional development of young children. Key Takeaways: Creative Expression as Learning: Beverly elaborates on how creative expression isn't merely an activity but a way of existing in the world. It serves as a powerful tool for children to explore, learn, and understand the world ar...
Dec 04, 2023•32 min•Season 2Ep. 43
Today, I’m chatting with Kristy DeGraaf, a family child care provider, trainer and childcare coach. Kristy started her career in social work and moved to Family Childcare 15 years ago after finding it hard to locate good care for her own children. We are talking about advocacy in Early Childhood Education and how you can get involved! Kristy sheds light on the importance of this despite the overwhelming challenges in the field. Some key takeaways: Understanding Advocacy: Kristen and Kristy to ex...
Nov 27, 2023•31 min•Season 2Ep. 42
Today I’m chatting with Jessica Borowets of The Artful Child , which began as an outside the box preschool run by her mother in the late 60’s. Jessica strongly believes that children learn through play, and with all their senses, and that every child deserves the freedom to explore art materials and sensory activities without interruption. In this episode, we discuss process art and creativity in early childhood education. We define creativity and process art, discussing the differences between ...
Nov 20, 2023•38 min•Season 2Ep. 41
Today, I’m chatting with Lynne Mulligan, a passionate advocate for nature-based learning that founded a pre-K and kindergarten nature-based program. We discuss nature-based literacy in preschool settings, exploring practical strategies and creative approaches. Lynne shares a wealth of experience and ways to weave outdoor play seamlessly into literacy instruction. Some key takeaways: Integrating Nature and Literacy: Lynne emphasizes the importance of seamlessly blending nature and literacy. She s...
Nov 13, 2023•25 min•Season 2Ep. 40
Today, I'm chatting with Ade Hofmann, a dedicated early childhood educator passionate about outdoor play and founder of Nature Play All Day Early Childhood Program in Maine. On this episode, we discuss the significance of outdoor gear for children's play and share inclusive strategies and recommended brands. Ade also gives us an overview of her vision for a rental program that makes outdoor play accessible to all. Some key takeaways: The Importance of Outdoor Play and Clothing: Kristen and Ade d...
Nov 06, 2023•31 min•Ep. 39
HelllllloooooOOOOooooo and welcome back as I revive my podcast with a host of new interviews! Today, I'm chatting with Mariah Burley, the founder and owner of a play based child care center. We discuss intentional teaching practices and creating a welcoming environment for children and families. Tune in to find out about the importance of building relationships, being flexible, and adapting to the needs and interests of the children. Some key takeaways Intentional Teaching: Mariah defines intent...
Oct 29, 2023•31 min•Season 2Ep. 1
Kyla and Kristen compare and contrast hot and cold climate, outdoor play! We do some troubleshooting and Kyla offers lots of tips for playing in hot and cold climates! You can find more info on Kyla's website naturecreatedplay.com Or you can find her on IG at: @naturecreatedplay Find Kristen here: @kristen.rb.peterson or at KristenRBPeterson.com Free Resources (Free mini course on the basics of play) - The Play Basics Course...
Dec 21, 2022•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 38
Kristen and Rae celebrate the release of her newest book, "Spark a Revolution in Early Education: Speaking Up for Ourselves and the Children!" In the play based, early childhood world, we can often feel like we are fighting an uphill battle. Rae's book and this podcast will help you gain confidence when it comes to advocating for play and childhood! You can check out Rae's website here! And you can buy Rae's book here! Find Kristen here: @kristen.rb.peterson or at KristenRBPeterson.com Free Reso...
Nov 30, 2022•33 min•Ep. 37
Author and blogger Linda McGurk joins Kristen to chat about her new book, The Open-Air Life: Discover the Nordic Art of Friluftsliv and Embrace Nature Every Day, nature play and her experience with early childhood education in the USA as compared to Sweden. You can purchase her books here: There's No Such Thing as Bad Weather The Open-Air Life Linda wanted to ensure listeners that when she is outdoors in extreme cold that she is indeed being safe about the temperatures... Here are some links wor...
Nov 22, 2022•42 min•Ep. 36
Kisa Marx from @kidcrewadventures (on Instagram) joins Kristen to talk about how early chilhdood educators put on a teacher disguise, why we need to remove that disguise and how she implemented play into her program slowly! Find Kristen here: @kristen.rb.peterson or at KristenRBPeterson.com Free Resources (Free mini course on the basics of play) - The Play Basics Course...
Nov 08, 2022•36 min•Ep. 35
Mollie VonKampen joins Kristen to share five of her favorite read-a-louds in the early childhood classroom! You can find more out about Mollie on her Instagram @read.by.the.window And, you will get a few bonus read-a-loud ideas (we just couldn't stop at 5!) Find Kristen here: @kristen.rb.peterson or at KristenRBPeterson.com Free Resources (Free mini course on the basics of play) - The Play Basics Course...
Sep 17, 2022•28 min•Ep. 34
Join Kristen, Samuel Broaden and Willy Villalpando for part two! We chat about how to be an ally to the LGBTQ+ community inside and outside of the classroom! You can find more Samuel here: https://www.honoringchildhood.org Instagram Venmo: @honoringchildhood You can find more Willy Here: https://mrwillyprek.com Instagram Venmo: @wvill002 Find Kristen here: @kristen.rb.peterson or at KristenRBPeterson.com Free Resources (Free mini course on the basics of play) - The Play Basics Course...
Jun 27, 2022•53 min•Ep. 33
Join Kristen, Samuel Broaden and Willy Villalpando as we give a primer on terminology associated with gender and sexuality and the LGBTQ+ community. This is part one of two! You can find more Samuel here: https://www.honoringchildhood.org Instagram Venmo: @honoringchildhood You can find more Willy Here: https://mrwillyprek.com Instagram Venmo: @wvill002 Find Kristen here: @kristen.rb.peterson or at KristenRBPeterson.com Free Resources (Free mini course on the basics of play) - The Play Basics Co...
Jun 27, 2022•56 min•Ep. 32
Kayla Souza, M.Ed. joins Kristen for a conversation about the benefits of play for all types of learners. Noting that we are both still learning and not experts on the topics of play for nuerodivergent learners and children with learning disabilities, we talk candidly about Kayla's own experiences with play based learning and her daughter. You can find Kayla's website here: https://www.littlelilacpreschool.com and you can find her IG here: https://www.instagram.com/littlelilacpreschool/ Find Kri...
Apr 12, 2022•45 min•Ep. 31
Laura Shea from @little.stories.that.stick joins Kristen to talk about the power of storytelling and storyacting with young children in an early childhood environment. You can find Laura on IG: https://www.instagram.com/little.stories.that.stick/ or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/little.stories.that.stick and you can grab some free story starter prompts from Laura HERE! Find Kristen here: @kristen.rb.peterson or at KristenRBPeterson.com Free Resources (Free mini course on the basics of pl...
Apr 08, 2022•38 min•Ep. 30
Samuel Broaden from honoringchildhood.org and Kristen have a conversation about the events taking place in Ukraine after Kristen received a message via IG from a woman asking for resources to help children and families through war induced trauma. Kristen and Samuel also chat about how to have conversations about war and other big events in other parts of the world that are confusing for children. Find Kristen here: @kristen.rb.peterson or at KristenRBPeterson.com Free Resources (Free mini course...
Mar 03, 2022•37 min•Ep. 29
What does success look like in terms of a play based program. Success is a relative term and Kristen encourages you to really take some time to unpack what you think success is to better serve the children in your care! Find Kristen here: @kristen.rb.peterson or at KristenRBPeterson.com Free Resources (Free mini course on the basics of play) - The Play Basics Course...
Dec 17, 2021•12 min•Ep. 28
Kristen happened upon a thought the other day and thought is was too important not to share. In this episode she will talk about the last, greatest risk we allow children to take. You will also learn 3 actionable ways to support risk taking in early childhood. For some great, free, letters to adults of the children in your care, Kristen has created a series of 5 letters that explain some of the hot topics in play based learning - including one on RISK! Free Resource (5 letters to grownups on pla...
Dec 06, 2021•10 min•Ep. 27
One of the most asked questions: What does you daily schedule look like in a play based program? Kristen answers that in this episode! It is a lot more simplistic than you would imagine! Find Kristen here: @kristen.rb.peterson or at KristenRBPeterson.com Free Resource- Planning in a play based classroom Free Resources (Free mini course on the basics of play) - The Play Basics Course...
Dec 01, 2021•16 min•Ep. 26
Children are often labeled as 'bad' for engaging in battle play or play fighting. It is loud and big and makes adults uncomfortable. Kristen explains why this type of play is normal and how to support it in your early childhood environments. Find Kristen here: @kristen.rb.peterson or at KristenRBPeterson.com Free Resources (Free mini course on the basics of play) - The Play Basics Course...
Nov 09, 2021•16 min•Ep. 25
Kristen chats about the characteristics of process based art, creative thinking in early childhood and it's importance, and a really cool study that proves that creativity is unlearned as we grow older. Resources: Tedx Tucson George Land YouTube video Ted Talk by Sir Ken Robison Loose Parts Books: Loose Parts: Inspiring Play in Young Children by Lisa Daly and Miriam Beloglovsky Loose Parts 2: Inspiring Play with Infants and Toddlers by Daly and Beloglovsky Find Kristen here: @kristen.rb.peterson...
Nov 01, 2021•22 min•Ep. 24
This is the first podcast in a two part release! You can find the second part of this series (you will hear Kristen talk more in the 2nd part) over on the podcast called Embracing Childhood (apple podcast link) Spotify link You can find more of Samuel Broaden on his website, Honoring Childhood. And he loves to hang out on IG @honoringchildhood Find Kristen here: @kristen.rb.peterson or at KristenRBPeterson.com Free Resources (Free mini course on the basics of play) - The Play Basics Course...
Sep 23, 2021•39 min•Ep. 23
Kristen's fave podcasting buddy makes her debut on the podcast. Tiffany Pearsall is the founding director of Play Frontier - a nature play school in Washington state! There is often a societal norm that is pushed down to early childhood environments that says children must be quiet to learn... T and I chat about it! After all, many of us are verbal processors and need to chat out loud to learn! Find Kristen here: @kristen.rb.peterson or at KristenRBPeterson.com Free Resources (Free mini course o...
Sep 10, 2021•33 min•Ep. 22
About Sally: Sally Haughey hails from Guthrie, Oklahoma, a small town in the middle of the United States, and grew up traveling the country with her parents and siblings. She started her teaching journey in 1996 and that experience now expands over two decades. She cultivated her learning at Northeastern State University in Talequah, Oklahoma, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education. In 2010, Sally wanted to share her ideas on a larger platform so she created Fairy Du...
Jun 23, 2021•57 min•Ep. 21
Rae Pica joins Kristen to chat advocacy / championing for children. Learn some easy ways to stand up for what we know is right for the young children in our lives. Rae's website: raepica.com use code: WILD for 20% off Rae's course "Becoming a Champion for Play & Joyful Learning" Find Kristen here: @kristen.rb.peterson or at KristenRBPeterson.com Free Resources (Free mini course on the basics of play) - The Play Basics Course...
Apr 23, 2021•39 min•Ep. 20
Kristen chats about what forest school looks like in her program! Find Kristen here: @kristen.rb.peterson or at KristenRBPeterson.com Free Resources (Free mini course on the basics of play) - The Play Basics Course
Apr 08, 2021•26 min•Ep. 19
Kristen had someone reach out to her via IG with some questions. Instead of answering them over DM, Kristen invited her to be on the show to ask all her questions so you can learn from them too! Nicky Peterson lives in South Africa and is dreaming about opening her own play based program someday! If you are interested in starting up your own program, check out my course: NEW COURSE! Starting An Early Childhood Program Blueprint! Find Kristen here: @kristen.rb.peterson or at KristenRBPeterson.com...
Mar 18, 2021•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 18
If a parent is ever wondering why their child comes home and says, "Nobody played with me." Or if a parent ever asks why their child says they have no friends... this episode is for you! And here is a handy letter you can hand to parents... Find Kristen here: @kristen.rb.peterson or at KristenRBPeterson.com Free Resources (Free mini course on the basics of play) - The Play Basics Course Free Resource (5 letters to grownups on play topics)- Letters to families...
Feb 26, 2021•13 min•Ep. 17
