How does play help your kid's brain grow? In this latest interview, I am talking with Jesse Illhardt, who is a featured TEDx presenter and an expert in child development.  She emphasizes the critical role of play when it comes to early childhood development and education.

In this conversation she covers these topics:

⭐️The different types of play-based learning and it’s importance for children’s brain development

⭐️Academic learning vs play-based learning

⭐️4 factors that get in the way of prioritizing play.

⭐️The 6 stages for play in the early years.

⭐️Smart toys vs simple toys, and what should we be looking for when choosing a toy.

⭐️Understanding serve and return.

⭐️Tips for parents to become more playful.

⭐️And more!

Jesse Ilhardt co-founded a nonprofit organization called VOCEL in 2013, and was named the Executive Director in 2021. Prior to co-founding VOCEL, she worked for six years as a pre-kindergarten teacher and teacher coach at Teach For America.

Across these roles, she has combined strategic thinking, creativity, and empathetic leadership to develop innovative early education programs, lead high-impact teams, and cultivate champions.

She is a member of the National Association for the Education of Young Children, and has presented at Harvard University’s Center on the Developing Child, the Illinois Association for Infant Mental Health, the Alliance for Early Childhood, and many community-based early childhood conferences. In 2022, her TEDx Talk on "How Play Helps Grow A Kid's Brain" was featured on TED.com, reaching 500,000 viewers around the globe.

To connect with Jesse and learn more about her work you can visit:

VOCEL website: https://www.vocel.org/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesseilhardt/