Is play just for fun—or is it doing something deeper? In this episode, I sit down with Kristen Day, founder of Butterfly Hill Nature Preschool and a fierce advocate for honoring how young children actually learn. We dig into the real science behind play-based learning—what it does for the brain, how it shapes behavior, and why removing it from early childhood classrooms may be doing more harm than we realize.
Whether you're feeling pressure to “get more academic” or just need language to advocate for more play in your day, this episode will leave you feeling grounded, validated, and inspired to make small changes that matter.
In this episode, we'll talk about:
What the research really says about play-based learning.
Why risky play (yes, even stick sword fights!) builds essential life skills.
What happens when children don’t get enough time to play.
Practical ways to bring meaningful play back into your PreK–2 classroom.
How to talk to admin about protecting playtime—using research, not guilt.
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