In today’s episode, I talk to Rachel Tidd - Founder of Wild Learning, Author of the Wild Math and Wild Reading Curriculums, and fellow mom. Hear what to teach your kids outside, the benefits of outdoor learning, what outdoor objects make for great math manipulatives, how homeschooling is changing, and what to look for during nature walks. Connect w…

In today’s episode, I talk to Marie Kullenberg - Founder of MK Nordika and fellow mom. Hear how to get your kids to play outside, what gear will keep them comfortable, whether to play outside in the rain, the benefits of learning outside, and the story behind forest schools. Connect with Marie at MKNordika.com and on Instagram at @MKNordika…

In today’s episode, I talk to Cara Zelas - Founder of Big World of Little Dude and fellow mom. Hear what social-emotional learning (SEL) is, how it overlaps with Montessori, how to be a good role model as it relates to play, whether you should hide your emotions in front of your kids, and why it’s okay to have quiet time sometimes. Connect with Car…

In today’s episode, I talk to Brita DeStefano - a pediatric physical therapist, Founder of Progress Through Play, and fellow mom. Hear the best ways to set your kid up to learn and grow on their own, how to track how your child is developing, celebrate the small wins along the way, do tummy time right, and what your kids have in common with rotisse…

In today’s episode, I talk to Sarah Lee - Founder of Sarah’s Silks and fellow mom. Hear why open-ended toys are better than traditional toys, the best kind of open-ended toys for kids, what you can do to inspire imagination in your kids, how alternative schools compare to traditional schools, and the story behind Sarah’s Silks. Connect with Sarah a…

In today’s episode, I talk to Julie Friedman - Founder of Young, Wild & Friedman and fellow mom of 4. Hear what makes a good sensory play kit, the positives of sensory play, how Julie comes up with her themes, how long your kids should play at a time, and how to get your kids to be quiet. Connect with Julie at YoungWildAndFriedman.com and on Instag…

In today’s episode, I talk to Rachel Kincaid - a Montessori-certified mom who is homeschooling with Montessori. Hear the benefits of Montessori, how to teach Montessori, how to inspire independence in your kids, what Montessori activities you should do with your kids, and when it’s right to interrupt your kids. Connect with Rachel at ToiletLearning…

In today’s episode, I talk to Dr. Rebekah Diamond - Pediatrician, Parenting Author, Founder of Parent Like a Pediatrician, and fellow mom. Hear recommendations on play from the American Academy of Pediatrics, where to learn about parenting, the way our kids learn most of the time, the biggest gift you can give your kids, and how to approach arts an…

In today’s episode, I talk to Meghan Fitzgerald - Founder and Chief Learning Officer of Tinkergarten, and mom of 3. Hear why nature is good for kids and their development, how being bored helps innovation, why fewer toys can lead to longer play, the perks of quiet time, and how Tinkergarten helps kids learn through the power of play. Connect with M…

In today’s episode, I talk to Dr. Courtney Bolton - Clinical and School Psychologist, Founder of Veer Clinic, and fellow mom of 4. Hear how to conquer you and your kids’ anxiety as we move back to normalcy, what activities to focus on, why risky play can be good, how to treat each child in the way that’s best for them, and praise their effort. Find…

In today’s episode, I talk to Beth Tyson - Trauma-Informed Parenting Educator and Author of A Grandfamily for Sullivan. Learn the importance of play in early childhood, how trauma impacts kids and what we can do about it, how to let your kids build up strength, when to step in and when to stand back, and the heartwarming story behind her book. Find…

In today’s episode, I talk to Jeff Harry, author of Rediscover Your Play and self-described play whisperer. Jeff helps people rediscover who they are and helps create psychologically safe spaces through play. He joins us today to discuss what play means to him and how play benefits everyone. Jeff starts off by telling us his origin story. When he w…

A new episodeAf Alanna Gallo

On this episode of Play. Learn. Thrive., Julia Dennison, and Alanna discuss all things pandemic parenting. Julia lives in Queens, New York, and is the digital content creator for Parents magazine as well as a co-parent to her four-year-old daughter. Julia and Alanna talk about the difficulties of working from home with your kids around and the need…

On this episode of Play. Learn. Thrive., Nazli Blackwell, a pediatric speech and language pathologist shares her passion for Montessori as well as her expertise about how play intersects with language development in a child. She discusses the importance of playtime (not screen time) and references an interesting research study on how a child’s lang…

On this episode of Play. Learn. Thrive., clinical psychologist Sarah Mundy shares with Alanna insights about the importance of play in the development of confident, self-motivated, independent kids. In addition to being a core element of emotional and intellectual growth, play has been recognized internationally as a fundamental right of children. …

On this episode of Play Learn Thrive, Alanna speaks with Sheena Hill, psychotherapist and sleep coach. During their discussion, they touch on how to engage in responsive parenting over behavioral modification, and how to better connect with your young children when they’re struggling with right choices. Main Takeaways: ● Any time your children are …

Today's episode features Dr. Allison Mell, PT, DPT is a pediatric physical therapist who has spent over a decade working with infants through grade schoolers. After recognizing the need for a place where parents can find answers to all their questions, Allison and her partner Maryann Deutsch MS, OT/,L co-founded Tots On Target, a community to bring…

On today's episode, Ginny Yurich from 1000 Hours Outside and I chat about the importance of outdoor play and how it impact child development from birth all the way through high school age (and beyond). We explore risk taking, slowing down family life, the education system and how it impacts kids natural development among other things. You can read …

The Importance of Emotional Intelligence (EQ) for Kids We now know that one of the biggest predictors of a child being successful and happy is emotional intelligence. One of our main goals as parents and caregivers should be to guide the child towards independence. As hard as it is to accept, our little ones will, all too soon, be off and dealing w…