For 10% off our conference tickets visit: www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/early-years-conference-2024/.

If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like:

Matt Bawler's episode on: Growth mindset in early childhood - www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/growth-mindset-in-early-childhood/

Maureen Hunt's episode on: Self-efficacy in young children - www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/self-efficacy-in-young-children/

This episode details:

On this episode Angelica talks to Dr Jacqueline Harding, International Child Development Specialist, Research Fellow at Middlesex University, Chair of Bright Start Foundation.

Jacqueline and Angelica discuss:

01:13 - What do we mean by 'play'? 02:48 - Play is far from JUST fun... 04:35 - Play as a buffer against stress 05:27 - The power of the smile: Social interactions and connection 09:00 - Mirroring and sustained shared thinking: What happens in the brain during this? 11:25 - Neuroplasticity, celebrating our lives and promoting positivity 13:18 - Creativity and imagination as vital skills for now and the future 19:54 - Play poverty and its long term effects 22:35 - The state of flow and the brain 29:00 - Brain and body working in harmony 30:43 - Adults focusing on their own needs to be able to give more to children 33:50 - Reflective questioning and unpicking research 35:11 - Becoming experts via observations 39:15 - Building resilience through play 40:35 - Advocacy, protecting play and research informed practice 43:00 - What activities help brain growth? - Laughter as an under-researched area

Read Jacqueline's article and find out more on The Voice of Early Childhood website: www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com

The brain that loves to play 53:16 Share

The Voice of Early Childhood

Shownotes Transcript

The brain that loves to play