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Less Screen Time
More Play
The Shop
Empowering Resources! Discover how to raise & educate your children through a playful childhood with less screen time, more play, meaningful connections, and essential learning.
The Community
Calling All Parents, Educators & Homeschoolers! We’ll help you guide children through a playful childhood with less screen time, more play, and meaningful connection.
The Studio
Calling All Children! Our beautiful in-person studio supports children’s social and emotional well-being, where confidence, creativity, self-identity, and friendships bloom.
About Us
Our Approach
The Playful Child is grounded in early childhood research, including the neuroscience of brain development, play theory, and practices from the Reggio Emilia Approach, among other theories that support the holistic growth and development of children. Our philosophy embraces The Playful Child Approach and a Reggio Emilia-informed perspective, where the image of the child is valued as curious, capable, and full of endless possibilities.
We are committed to fostering a culture of creative co-construction and collaboration in a community that invites our youngest citizens to inspire those around them. As they share their insightful perspectives, infinite questions, and profound wisdom within our community and the world, we open the door to the hope of our future: the children.
Give childhood back to children: if we want our offspring to have happy, productive and moral lives, we must allow more time for play, not less.
Peter Gray
The Seven Pillars:
Nurture Children’s Well-Being
We invite you to explore this empowering approach.
The Emotional Pillar
A critical element of every human being, the emotional development of a child is at the heart of all we do alongside children.
The Social Pillar
The Social Pillar
The Physical Pillar
The Intellectual Pillar
The Intellectual Pillar
The Moral Pillar
The Spiritual Pillar
The Spiritual Pillar
The Nature Pillar
A Few of Our Inspirations
Play gives children a chance to practice what they are learning.
Fred Rogers
The Five Elements:
Essentials All Children Need
Relationships
Belonging
Belonging
Communication
Community
Community
Creativity
Creative play is like a spring that bubbles up from deep within a child.
Joan Almon
The Four Pathways:
Spark The Magic of Childhood
Childhood is a time of wonder and discovery, where play, art, mindfulness, and nature weave together to nurture the whole child. These foundations create opportunities for children to explore who they are as human beings, build meaningful connections with themselves and others, and engage with the world around them in authentic and purposeful ways.
Children flourish through such playful experiences—growing in independence, creativity, resilience, and emotional intelligence while discovering and unravelling their unique place in the world, starting with the context of their environment and through the relationships they share with themselves and others.
Play
Play is the essence of childhood, where authentic joy meets innate curiosity. It is in the moments of imaginative play and open-ended exploration that children discover their capabilities, strengthen relationships, and cultivate a love for learning for today and all of their tomorrows.
Art
Art opens a world of endless possibilities where children find their voice and embrace their individuality. Through creative expression, they explore thoughts, emotions, and connections with others and the world. Each creation becomes a bridge to self-discovery and meaningful connection.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness invites children to pause, reflect, and connect with the present moment. Through simple, intentional practices, children build emotional balance, self-awareness, and the capacity to approach life with a sense of calm and confidence. Children develop self-regulation and resilience.
Nature
Nature unfolds as a living classroom, grounding children in the world’s wonders. From feeling the earth beneath their feet to exploring the beauty of a willow branch, nature inspires awe, nurtures resilience, and deepens their understanding of how they fit into the larger world.
There is a strong connection between the practice of play and the emotional and cognitive development of the brain.
Dr. Stuart Brown
FAQ
The Playful Child is an early childhood education platform founded by Susan Wright, grounded in The Playful Child Approach and informed by the philosophy of The Reggio Emilia Approach, play theory, the neuroscience of brain development, and early childhood and development perspectives, theories, and research. It provides resources, community, and in-person and online programs for parents, educators, and homeschoolers to nurture children through play, art, mindfulness, and nature.
The Playful Child Approach values every child as curious, capable, and full of endless possibilities. It is grounded in seven pillars: Emotional, Social, Physical, Intellectual, Moral, Spiritual, and Nature — supporting the holistic well-being of children from birth through age 8.
The Seven Pillars are: 1) Emotional, 2) Social, 3) Physical, 4) Intellectual, 5) Moral, 6) Spiritual, and 7) Nature. Each pillar supports a different dimension of a child's holistic growth and well-being.
