The Play Based Learning Podcast

By Kristen Day

Kristen Day, will be your new teacher bestie, mentor, and motivator, all in one. Kristen is on a mission to energize your passion for early childhood education, challenge outdated practices, and equip... more

· Education

4.9

164164 ratings

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FAQs about The Play Based Learning Podcast:

How many episodes does The Play Based Learning Podcast have?

The podcast currently has 82 episodes available.

The Play Based Learning Podcast episodes:

May 27, 2024EP 62: Exploring Reggio Emilia Approach with Jayda Rivera
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 learning. It is child-led, similar to Montessori and play-based learning, focusing on the natural development and expression of children.
Environment as an Extension of Home: They talk about how in Reggio Emilia-inspired schools, the environment is designed to feel like a second home. Learn some ways to incorporate things into your space that make it feel cozy.
Importance of Observation: Jayda highlights the significance of constantly observing and taking notes on children's behavior and interactions. This helps educators understand each child deeply and tailor the learning environment and activities to their needs and interests.
Holistic Child Expression: Jayda and Kristen talk about the idea of the "hundred languages of children" suggesting that children have numerous ways to express themselves beyond verbal communication. Educators should provide various outlets for expression, including art, music, movement, and play.
If you aren’t familiar with or have ever been interested in learning more about the Reggio Emilia Approach, this is a great episode to get more info!
Find Kristen here: @kristen.rb.peterson or at KristenRBPeterson.com
Find Jayda here: @reggio_roots
...more
31min
May 20, 2024EP 61: Play Based Learning for School Age Children with Mariana Carazo
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 Mariana emphasize that play is essential for children's cognitive development, mental health, and executive functioning.
Flexible and Meaningful Learning Environments: Mariana talks with Kristen about highlighting the benefits of open-ended play spaces and flexible seating arrangements. These setups allow children to move, choose their seating, and engage with learning materials in a way that suits their individual needs and preferences.
Real-World Applications of Learning: They talk about how teaching with a purpose is central to Mariana's approach. She ensures that what children learn is connected to real-life applications, making education more relevant and engaging.
Mixed-Age Group Benefits: Mariana and Kristen know the power of mixed-age groups. Older children help younger ones, and all students benefit from the diverse range of skills and perspectives within the group.
Have you been toying with the idea of homeschooling or looking into other options besides traditional schooling? Or maybe you are in a traditional school setting and looking to make some adjustments? This episode will give you lots of great info and give you ideas on how to create a more playful space for school age children.
Find Kristen here: @kristen.rb.peterson or at KristenRBPeterson.com
Find Mariana here: @developingminds or at developingmindsus.com
Link about Flexible seating here: flexible classroom
...more
32min
May 13, 2024EP 60: Child Led Learning and Emergent Curriculum with Tiffany Pearsall
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 curriculum can look like.
Relationships Are Key: Strong teacher-child relationships enable tailored learning experiences.
Child-Led vs. Emergent Curriculum: Both terms focus on responding to children's interests.
Reflective Documentation: Despite challenges, documenting experiences is essential for reflection and extending learning.
If you’ve been curious about what child led learning and Emergent curriculum looks like, then this podcast is a great one to listen to!
Find Kristen here: @kristen.rb.peterson or at KristenRBPeterson.com
Find Tiffany here: @playfrontier or at playfrontier.org
...more
40min
April 29, 2024EP 59: Creating a space from a Million Dollar Grant with Tiffany Pearsall
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 Learning Environments: Kristen and Tiffany talk about creating innovative learning environments that integrate nature, sensory experiences, and community food production gardens.
Customized Facilities: Tiffany talks about their customized facilities like sensory sinks and playground equipment, tailored to meet the needs of young learners and enhance their sensory experiences.
Grant Writing Strategies: Tiffany shares insights into successful grant writing, emphasizing the importance of making grant-funded programs self-sustainable and focusing on measurable outcomes to demonstrate impact.
Organizational Efficiency: Inspired by principles of industrial organizational psychology, Tiffany ensures efficiency in classroom design, staff workflow, and grant utilization to maximize impact and resources through Play Frontier.
Persistence and Vision: Tiffany and Kristen highlight the importance of persistence and having a clear vision to achieve organizational goals, emphasizing strategic planning and iterative progress towards their mission.
Have you been wanting to open a space for children, but would love some advice and inspiration? This is a great podcast episode to do just that!
Find Kristen here: @kristen.rb.peterson or at KristenRBPeterson.com
Find Tiffany here: @playfrontier or at playfrontier.org
...more
41min
April 15, 2024EP 58: Exploring Artistry in Early Childhood with Faigie Kobre
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 young children as a natural part of the learning process, encouraging experimentation with various materials.
Individualized Support: Faigie and Kristen talk about how to offer guidance and assistance based on each child's needs and interests, while also allowing them the freedom to explore and create independently.
Artistic Growth: Kristen and Faigie help you to understand that artistic abilities evolve over time, with children progressing from exploratory scribbles and messy play to more intentional and refined creations as they grow.
Want to dive a little deeper into process art over crafts and when it’s ok for adults to give some ideas and guidance without making the art a craft? Then this episode is for you.
Find Kristen here: @kristen.rb.peterson or at KristenRBPeterson.com
Find Faigie here: @eduart4kids or at eduart4kids.com
Find Faigie’s free mini course here: Free Mini Course
...more
52min
April 01, 2024EP 57: The Importance of Play for Adults with Reagan Fulton
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 happiness.
Reclaiming Play as Adults: They encourage adults to reclaim play in their lives by prioritizing activities that bring them joy and curiosity. Reagan shares how adults have to challenge societal norms that discourage them from engaging in playful activities.
Setting Boundaries for Play: Kristen and Reagan talk about the importance of setting boundaries to create time for play amidst busy schedules. They suggest strategies such as scheduling playtime on calendars and parallel playing with children to prioritize personal play.
Overcoming Societal Stigmas: They have a discussion about societal pressures that discourage playfulness as individuals transition from childhood to adulthood and encourage listeners to challenge these stigmas and embrace playfulness in their lives.
Promoting Self-Care through Play: Play is presented as a form of self-care that can replenish energy and foster creativity. Kristen and Reagan want listeners to explore activities that bring them joy and fulfillment, emphasizing the benefits of incorporating play into daily routines.
Do you feel like you are in an everyday routine taking care of everyone else and forgetting that you need play in your life as well? This podcast may be the push you need to start adding some play for yourself!
Find Kristen here: @kristen.rb.peterson or at KristenRBPeterson.com
Find Reagan here: @playful.reagan or at playfulacre.com and Facebook
Find Reagan’s 30 Days of Play challenge here: 30 Days Of Play
...more
30min
March 26, 2024EP 56: The Connection of Play and Brain-Behaviors with Prerna Richards
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 connection between brain behaviors and play.

Key Takeaways:
Play as the Cornerstone: Both Kristen and Prerna emphasize the importance of play in early childhood education, highlighting its role in reducing challenging behaviors and creating joyful learning environments.
Mindset Shift: Prerna discusses how adults should adopt a responsive approach by becoming behavior detectives and understanding the emotions behind children's actions rather than being reactive.
Connect Before Correct: Kristen and Prerna share about how to build strong connections with children through empathy and understanding. This reduces the need for constant correction, fostering a more positive learning environment.
Authentic Engagement: Genuine, authentic engagement involves following children's lead, respecting their perspectives, and fostering meaningful interactions that prioritize their thoughts, feelings, and experiences over rote questioning or directives.
Do you find yourself curious about how lack of play can affect children and how they behave? Then this is a great podcast to listen to!
Find Kristen here: @kristen.rb.peterson or at KristenRBPeterson.com
Find Prerna here: @togetherwegrow.online or at togetherwegrow.online.com
Also find Prerna on: Linkedin, Facebook, or YouTube
...more
36min
March 19, 2024EP 55: Free the Glue with Kayla Souza
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 recycled lids, egg cartons, wooden pieces from games, and puzzle pieces.
Exploring Different Types of Glue: Kristen and Kayla suggest offering different types of glue, including white glue, glue sticks, and low-heat glue guns, depending on the project and children's preferences, while ensuring proper supervision, especially with tools like glue guns.
Budget-Friendly Options: They talk about different examples of budget friendly options.
Trusting the Process: Kristen and Kayla tak about trusting children's natural curiosity and interests, allowing them the freedom to explore materials and projects at their own pace, even if it means revisiting certain activities over time.
Starting Small: They talk about how you can begin with simple, low-cost projects using recycled materials and basic art supplies, gradually expanding as you observe children's engagement and creativity flourish.
If you struggle with allowing children to explore glue, this podcast may help you have a different perspective and give you all the reasons to start freeing the glue! If you already support freeing the glue but cost is the issue then tune in to hear suggestions on what else you can do!

Free the Glue Party sign up Here: Free the Glue Party
Find Kristen here: @kristen.rb.peterson or at KristenRBPeterson.com
Find Kayla here: @littlelilacpreschool or at littlelilacpreschool.com
Find Kayla's Glue PDF here: Free the Glue Guide
...more
38min
March 04, 2024EP 54: Understanding Gestalt Language Processing with Jess Teixeira
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 processing as a different way children develop language, emphasizing that it's a normal variation in language development.
Collaboration Among Parents, SLPs, and Educators: Jess highlights the importance of collaboration among parents, speech language pathologists (SLPs), and educators in supporting Gestalt language processors.
Challenges: Kristen and Jess discuss the challenges families face, including pushback from educators and the mismatch between school curriculums and the needs of Gestalt language processors.
Approaches to Literacy: Jess explains how Gestalt language processors may approach phonemic awareness and alphabet knowledge differently, depending on individual interests and developmental stages.
Implementing Supportive Strategies in the Classroom: Jess and Kristen suggest practical strategies for educators, such as using declarative language or "sports casting" to support communication in the classroom.
Curious about Gestalt Language Processing just like I was? Then you need to listen to this podcast to learn what it’s all about!
Find Kristen here: @kristen.rb.peterson or at KristenRBPeterson.com
Find Jess here: @jesstheslp or at @playhavenpediatrics
...more
41min
February 26, 2024EP 53: Developing the Fundamentals of ABCs Through Play with Stacy Benge
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 literacy, it's just one component among many.
Shifting Perspective on Alphabet Learning: Stacy suggests instead of viewing alphabet learning as a matter of teaching, to see it as a process of development. Children need to develop foundational skills before they can effectively learn the alphabet, and play-based activities support this development.
Encouraging Play-Based Learning Environments: Stacy and Kristen give ideas on how to create environments rich in open-ended materials and opportunities for child-led play. These environments support the development of literacy skills in a natural and meaningful way.
Balancing Play-Based Learning with Curriculum Requirements: Stacy and Kristen acknowledge the challenge of balancing play-based learning with curriculum requirements. Stacy suggests finding ways to incorporate play into structured activities and advocating for the importance of play in achieving curriculum goals.
Are you feeling the pressure that children need to learn the alphabet in certain ways that doesn’t feel developmentally appropriate? Then this episode is for you and the stakeholders in your program.
Find Kristen here: @kristen.rb.peterson or at KristenRBPeterson.com
Find Stacy here: @stacybengems or at stacybenge.com
Find Stacy’s book here: The Whole Child Alphabet: How Young Children Actually Develop Literacy
...more
24min

FAQs about The Play Based Learning Podcast:

How many episodes does The Play Based Learning Podcast have?

The podcast currently has 82 episodes available.

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