Free Video: Rae Pica on Why Play?

Rae Pica is on a mission to ensure that children have the chance to be children, and that child development guides all our practices with them. A consultant in early childhood education for over 40 years, Rae is a keynote speaker (virtually these days), an online course creator.

Rae is the author of one of my all-time favourite books What if Everybody Understood Child Development? but in this session, we are going to be focusing on her book called Why Play?: How to Make Play an Essential Part of Early Education.

In this session, Rae Pica explores why play is under threat in early childhood settings and makes a compelling case for protecting it. With formal academic expectations creeping ever earlier, she unpacks why this runs counter to everything we know about child development, addresses the types of play that cause most anxiety for adults, and offers practical strategies for bringing parents on side.

In this episode you’ll:

• Find out why child development cannot be accelerated, and what happens when we try
• Learn how risky play and rough and tumble play build risk assessment, emotional regulation and social skills
• Discover the research on superhero and war play and why banning it may be counterproductive
• Understand the difference between free play and guided play, and why both matter in Early Years settings
• Get practical ideas for partnering with parents to advocate for play in your setting

Watch this session to build your knowledge of play, feel confident defending it, and find practical ways to bring parents with you.

Rae’s website is: https://www.raepica.com/

You can order Rae Pica’s brand new book here: https://amzn.to/3z21JPu

And for her other, many, books follow her on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/3z6VFVX

American listeners can apply the code at www.tcpress.com.  European listeners can get the discount at https://www.eurospanbookstore.com.

Also, Rae’s free resource library can be accessed here: https://www.raepica.com/free-resource-library-opt-in/