Let’s put play back in early childhood.
Hi, I’m Kristen Day! Keynote speaker, author, podcast host, and your new play-based BFF. I help early childhood educators, school districts, and conferences trade traditional preschool teaching practices like worksheets, flashcards, and calendar time for real, research-backed play.
Pick your path.
Whether you’re planning a conference, leading a whole district, or teaching a room full of four-year-olds tomorrow morning, there’s a door here with your name on it.
Book a keynote or PD day
Keynotes, breakouts, and hands-on workshops that send teachers back to their classrooms fired up. Audiences from 8 to 3,500.
See speaking & fees →
Play in every classroom
The Play-to-Standards Framework™ gives your whole team one shared definition of play and a documentation system that holds up to your standards.
Explore the framework →
On-demand trainings
On-demand trainings, digital courses, and printables you can actually use on Monday morning. Grab a coffee and binge.
Browse on-demand trainings →Michigan AEYC✦Texas AEYC✦New York AEYC✦California UPK Summit✦Iowa AEYC✦Alabama Early Childhood Conference✦SUNY Early Education Conference✦Coachella Valley Unified✦Cincinnati Head Start✦Antilles School, USVI
audiences of 8 to 3,500. same energy every single time.
Routledge
I’m Not Getting Them Ready for Kindergarten
Breaking Tradition in Early Childhood Education
“Teachers don’t have to cut out penguin beaks anymore.”
This book is your permission slip to break up with outdated practices and replace them with the magic of play-based learning. Packed with stories from Kristen’s own play journey, plus the tools and language to show parents, administrators, and the teacher down the hall that play IS learning.
Plot twist: we ARE getting them ready for kindergarten. We do it by letting three-year-olds have three-year-old experiences and four-year-olds have four-year-old experiences. Pushed-down kindergarten and first grade experiences can wait their turn.
where it all startedYour new play-based BFF.
I spent seventeen years in early childhood: family child care in my own home, public school kindergarten through second grade, and then Butterfly Hill Nature Preschool, the first play, nature, and forest school in central Minnesota. Mud pies were gourmet cuisine. Sticks were wands. Childhood always reigned supreme.
These days I travel the world helping conferences, schools, and teachers fall back in love with play. I host The Play Based Learning Podcast, I wrote a book about it, and I will happily talk your ear off about loose parts.
cheers to play! ☀️
Read my whole story →What educators are saying.
In 31 years of education, with most of those years spent in early childhood, I can say, hands down, that today was the best professional development I have ever attended. Your ability to recognize where people are, value them right there, and then challenge and equip them to pivot toward what is right and best for children was remarkable… I left today inspired, affirmed, challenged, and ready to do better for kids.
Kara Swofford, Ph.D. · Principal, Cedar Ridge Primary School, Branson, Missouri
Kristen Day’s training session was truly a game-changer for our team! What impressed us most was how practical, actionable, and relevant her insights were. We watched our teachers return to their classrooms energized and excited, ready to implement new routines, strategies, and ideas right away.
Beth Heil · Director of Recruiting & Development, Crèche Manhattan
The best early childhood professional development I have ever seen. Kristen’s passion, knowledge and upbeat personality shined!
Andrea Hallborn · Preschool Teacher, Dallas, Texas
My notes page is FULL of valuable pieces of gold from this hour.
Monica Anderson · Conference Attendee, Portland, Oregon
FREE RESOURCE ALERT!
The Play Basics digital course
Ready to dive into play? This free mini course is the perfect place to start. You get an interview with Dr. Peter Gray where he defines the 5 characteristics of play, plus 5 more videos on the building blocks of play. PD hours included!
Ready to make some play happen?
Bring Kristen to your conference, your district, or your classroom.
Kristen Day
& Play
Play-based learning keynotes, professional development, and digital courses for early childhood educators. Supporting the field since 2018. Formerly Kristen RB Peterson.
