Actions of Play

In this episode of Actions of Play , Heather Jackson continues her exploration of play schemas with a closer look at transforming , the ways children investigate change through mixing, combining, pressing, and experimenting with materials. From adding water to sand and blending paint colours to making playdough and exploring different textures, children are discovering how materials change and res...

In Part 3 of our Play Schemas series, Heather Jackson explores orientation and positioning, two patterns of play that offer insight into how children investigate space, direction, relationships, and perspective. Through a Reggio Emilia-inspired lens, Heather invites educators to look beyond what children are doing and become more curious about what they might be thinking. From arranging loose part...

In this episode of Actions of Play , Heather Jackson continues her exploration of play schemas with a closer look at trajectory, the repeated patterns of movement that reveal how children investigate the world around them. From rolling balls down ramps and dropping objects from different heights to throwing, jumping, and watching things move through space, trajectory play is so much more than repe...

In this first episode of a new Actions of Play series exploring play schemas, Heather Jackson introduces the fascinating world of enclosing and enveloping. From building forts and surrounding objects with blocks to wrapping materials, hiding treasures, and covering creations, children are continually investigating the world around them through their play. Drawing on Reggio-inspired practice and th...

In this special episode of Actions of Play, Heather Jackson is joined by Dory Kashin, daughter of beloved early childhood educator, professor, mentor, and advocate Dr. Diane Kashin. Dory shares the story behind The Good Mess Project, a family fundraiser created to honour Diane’s legacy while bringing together many of the things she valued: children, families, play, materials, community, connection...

In this episode of Actions of Play, Heather explores the Reggio Emilia concept of the Hundred Languages of Children and what it can teach us about the many ways children communicate, investigate, build theories, and make meaning through play. From movement and construction to clay, storytelling, light, sound, gesture, and even silence, Heather invites educators to look more closely at what childre...

In this episode of Actions of Play, Heather Jackson explores the image of the child through a Reggio Emilia lens and what that belief looks like in everyday practice. Heather shares why children are not empty vessels waiting for adults to fill them with knowledge, but creative meaning-makers who learn through relationships, inquiry, play and many different forms of expression. Through stories from...

In this episode of Actions of Play , Heather is joined by Vicki and Emily from The Educator’s Table for a conversation about the relationship between early childhood educators and families. They explore why that relationship can sometimes feel disconnected, what families may not see about the work happening in early learning programs, and why educators also need to understand the realities familie...

In this episode of Actions of Play, Heather Jackson explores the role of the teacher as researcher in Reggio-inspired practice. She looks at how observation, documentation, relationships, and reflection can help educators move beyond simply planning what comes next and instead pay closer attention to the theories, questions, and ideas already emerging through children’s play. Heather also explores...

In this episode of Actions of Play, Heather is joined by Christine Murray, a DECE with the Simcoe County District School Board and Vice President of her local DECE association, for a conversation about play-based learning in Ontario kindergarten classrooms. Christine shares how her own thinking about play has evolved over her 25-year career, why slowing down has changed the way she observes and su...

Why does a child keep dumping toys out of a basket? Carrying objects from one side of the playground to the other? Throwing things across the room? Wrapping, spinning, lining up or taking things apart again and again? What can look messy, repetitive, or even challenging may actually be telling us something important about how a child is learning. In this solo episode of Actions of Play, Heather Ja...

In this solo episode of Actions of Play, Heather Jackson explores how research questions can transform the way educators observe, document and plan alongside children. Rather than deciding in advance where learning should go, Heather invites educators to slow down, pay attention to the ideas already emerging through play, and consider how thoughtful questions can help us uncover what children may...

In this episode of Actions of Play, Heather Jackson is joined by Jeff Turner, Cassandra Keller and Megan James of Tree Top Academy and How We Reggio in Jupiter, Florida. Together, they explore what it looks like to move beyond trying to replicate Reggio Emilia and instead build a practice that reflects your own children, educators, community and context. They share the evolution of Tree Top Academ...

In this episode of Actions of Play, host Heather Jackson speaks with Cassie St. Amand, founder of Applejacks Preschool, about recognizing and responding to play schemas in early childhood environments. Together, they explore how repeated patterns of play offer educators a window into children’s thinking, why observation must come before intervention, and how the Reggio Emilia approach and schema-b...

In this solo episode of Actions of Play, host Heather Jackson reflects on The Sunflower School’s 2026 educator conference, The Uncertainty of an Idea. She explores why uncertainty is not a failure of planning but an essential part of meaningful learning. Heather shares how educators can resist the pressure to rush toward polished outcomes, make room for unfinished thinking, and use play as a form...

In this episode of Actions of Play , Heather Jackson welcomes registered early childhood educator, consultant, and author Cathy Turalinski to explore one of the most important and often misunderstood stages of child development: toddlerhood. Drawing on more than 45 years of experience in early childhood education, post-secondary teaching, family support, leadership, and consulting, Cathy shares th...

In this episode of Actions of Play , host Heather Jackson welcomes Victoria Armstrong, founder of Side by Side Consulting, to explore how process art can transform children's learning, creativity, and relationship with materials. Drawing from over 20 years in early childhood education and her work integrating professional artists into licensed child care programs, Victoria challenges the tradi...

In this thoughtful episode of Actions of Play, Heather Jackson sits down with Chaylene Clarke, kindergarten educator and creator of The Unhurried Classroom, to explore what happens when we slow down enough to truly notice children. Together, they discuss unhurried, uninterrupted play, revisiting experiences, documentation, and the importance of resisting the constant pressure to rush children from...

In this episode of Actions of Play , Heather Jackson welcomes Dr. Louisa Penfold, Professor and Chair of Arts and Learning at Harvard Graduate School of Education, researcher, author, and internationally recognized advocate for children's creativity and play. Drawing on her work across Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, Louisa shares how museums, schools, artists, educators,...

In this episode of Actions of Play , host Heather Jackson sits down with pedagogical leader, consultant, and registered early childhood educator Jessica Karpathios to explore what curriculum building can look like when relationships, curiosity, and critical thinking are at the centre. Drawing from her experiences working internationally, leading pedagogical change within a nature-based program, an...

Keri Best's path from placement student to director at The Sunflower School in Ontario didn't happen by accident. It was built on a clear philosophy: give children power, build community, and never stop learning. In this episode, she traces her 12-year journey at The Sunflower School, sharing the pivotal moments, mindset shifts, and daily practices that shaped her into the leader she is to...

What if "program planning" is the very thing holding your practice back? Rosalba from Acorn Collaborative makes a compelling case for retiring the term altogether and replacing it with something far more intentional: designing curriculum that genuinely honours children's curiosity, culture, and agency. It's a small word swap with enormous implications. This conversation digs into...

What if your planning meetings could be the most meaningful hour of your week? At Sunflower School, two early childhood Directors, Sarah and Keri   have moved away from reactive, interest-led planning toward something deeper. A curriculum anchored in big, purposeful questions like "How can toddlers build community?" or "How do we empower children to lead their own learning?" Th...

What happens when educators intentionally slow down and make space for children’s voices to truly matter? In this episode of Actions of Play, Heather Jackson sits down with Crystal and Annika from Sunflower School to explore a deeply meaningful preschool investigation centered around one guiding question: How can we create spaces and moments where children feel their voices are truly heard, valued...

In this episode of Actions of Play, Heather Jackson is joined by Sarah and Michelle from Sunflower School to explore a toddler project that began with one simple idea: creating a “nest” of comfort, belonging, and connection for a brand-new classroom community. What started as a gentle transition project quickly evolved into a rich child-led investigation centered around ramps, rolling, movement, s...