Little Big Ideas

In this episode of Little Big Ideas, Anne Marie and Lorrie sit down with Suzanne Axelsson — author, pedagogical consultant, and one of the most generative thinkers in early childhood education, for a conversation that quietly dismantles everything we assume about children’s play, and rebuilds it into something far more profound. Learning to walk or playing to walk? What is the purpose of play in education? What is the purpose of the educator in play?  Joining from Stockholm, Suzanne explores the schoolification of play and what it really means to prepare children not just for school, but for life. She introduces the idea of deep pocket pedagogy (we'd not heard of that one either): the difference between equipping children with the exact tools for right now, and filling their pockets so deeply that they'll keep pulling from them for the rest of their lives. We hope this one stays with you. Watch our podcast episodes on YouTube: @StoryparkApp  __________________________________________________________________________ STORYPARK: Putting the child at the heart of childcare management Storypark is an all-in-one childcare management platform built to empower quality-focused early learning services to streamline operations, so they can focus on what matters most: nurturing every child’s unique potential. With all the tools you expect in a childcare management software, what makes Storypark special is our sector-leading family engagement and learning documentation tools that are at the heart of our platform. Shaped by early childhood education experts, and the only childcare software endorsed by the Canadian Child Care Federation, Storypark delivers proven impact you can depend on. Find out more on our website: https://ap1.hubs.ly/y0PBZq0 

More here: https://lp.storypark.com/sa/podcast In this episode Dr. Shelley Moore unpacks what it really means to be an inclusive educator. Drawing on research, her own lived experience, and a wry sense of humor, she challenges myths about inclusion, highlights the stress and conditioning educators face, and reframes inclusion as a practice that benefits the whole community. Shelley talks openly about disability as identity, the evolving nature of her own learning and offers practical, hopeful ways to move from pressure and performance toward meaningful, sustainable inclusion - all with the honesty, charm, and humour that makes learning from her feel like a conversation with a trusted friend. STORYPARK: Putting the child at the heart of childcare management Storypark is an all-in-one childcare management platform built to empower quality-focused early learning services to streamline operations, so they can focus on what matters most: nurturing every child’s unique potential. With all the tools you expect in a childcare management software, what makes Storypark special is our sector-leading family engagement and learning documentation tools that are at the heart of our platform. Shaped by early childhood education experts, and the only childcare software endorsed by the Canadian Child Care Federation, Storypark delivers proven impact you can depend on.

More here >> https://lp.storypark.com/sa/podcast << Live from The Home Child Care Association of Ontario (HCAAO) annual conference, this episode is a rich conversation about the beauty and necessity of care work. We explore the requirements and practices of quality care: humility, curiosity, community, and the willingness to slow down. Naming these practices strengthens our ability to stand firmly in the value of what we do. Together in a room filled with passionate in-home carers, we recognized the complexity and skill of this work. With thoughtful questions and insights from the audience, the conversation returned to something essential: when we can articulate the value of our work, we expand our capacity to advocate for care in all its forms. This episode affirms the work of caregiving, the wisdom it requires, and the collective strength it takes to build caring communities. STORYPARK Putting the child at the heart of childcare management Storypark is an all-in-one childcare management platform built to empower quality-focused early learning services to streamline operations, so they can focus on what matters most: nurturing every child’s unique potential. With all the tools you expect in a childcare management software, what makes Storypark special is our sector-leading family engagement and learning documentation tools that are at the heart of our platform. Shaped by early childhood education experts, and the only childcare software endorsed by the Canadian Child Care Federation, Storypark delivers proven impact you can depend on.

In this episode of Little Big Ideas, we sit down with our dear friend Rukia Rogers—early childhood educator, activist, and founder of The Highlander School in Atlanta, Georgia. This single-site school stands as a beacon of hope, possibility, and social justice, nurturing empathy and critical consciousness in children while deeply honoring the histories and struggles of its community. Inspired by the legacy of the Highlander Folk School and the civil rights movement, Rukia has built an early learning community that is both a hub of activism and a sanctuary of care—a place where children, families, and the land are interconnected and valued. Rukia’s vision reminds us what’s possible when education, community, and justice come together. Her leadership offers a powerful example of how even a small early childhood program can become a space of resistance, hope, and transformative change. This is a conversation you won’t want to miss. STORYPARK: Putting the child at the heart of childcare management Storypark is an all-in-one childcare management platform built to empower quality-focused early learning services to streamline operations, so they can focus on what matters most: nurturing every child’s unique potential. With all the tools you expect in a childcare management software, what makes Storypark special is our sector-leading family engagement and learning documentation tools that are at the heart of our platform. Shaped by early childhood education experts, and the only childcare software endorsed by the Canadian Child Care Federation, Storypark delivers proven impact you can depend on.

Talking with Dr. Hopi Martin feels like slowing down enough to hear the earth breathe. Every time we hear him speak, something new lands in our hearts. In this episode, he shares his path back to his ancestors, the land, and the seasonal rhythms that guide his work with children. He invites us to step out of the clock and into the natural cycles of learning. It’s a gentle reminder that when we bring children to the earth, she knows what to do and so do they. STORYPARK: Putting the child at the heart of childcare management Storypark is an all-in-one childcare management platform built to empower quality-focused early learning services to streamline operations, so they can focus on what matters most: nurturing every child’s unique potential. With all the tools you expect in a childcare management software, what makes Storypark special is our sector-leading family engagement and learning documentation tools that are at the heart of our platform. Shaped by early childhood education experts, and the only childcare software endorsed by the Canadian Child Care Federation, Storypark delivers proven impact you can depend on.

We sit down with author and educator Susan Stacey to explore what happens when educators move from simply following children's interests to co-constructing meaning with them. Together, we unpack how curiosity, uncertainty, and the voice of the educator can shape truly responsive curriculum.

What if care isn’t just something we do—but the most important part of how we show up for children? In this episode, Carol Garboden Murray invites us to rethink care as both an art and a science, full of rhythm, connection, and intention. We explore how everyday routines can become meaningful care rituals, and why relational care deserves to be taken seriously. It’s a powerful and hopeful conversation for educators ready to reimagine what it means to truly care. STORYPARK: Putting the child at the heart of childcare management. Storypark is an all-in-one childcare management platform built to empower quality-focused early learning services to streamline operations, so they can focus on what matters most: nurturing every child’s unique potential. With all the tools you expect in a childcare management software, what makes Storypark special is our sector-leading family engagement and learning documentation tools that are at the heart of our platform. Shaped by early childhood education experts, and the only childcare software endorsed by the Canadian Child Care Federation, Storypark delivers proven impact you can depend on.

This discussion with Deb Curtis explores our inherently social nature, and delves deep into the source of early development. Spoiler alert... It's all about relationships! Deb Curtis is a long-time early childhood educator, leader and published author of "Really Seeing Children" and several other important books.   Storypark: Putting the child at the heart of childcare management Storypark is an all-in-one childcare management platform built to empower quality-focused early learning services to streamline operations, so they can focus on what matters most: nurturing every child’s unique potential. With all the tools you expect in a childcare management software, what makes Storypark special is our sector-leading family engagement and learning documentation tools that are at the heart of our platform.  Shaped by early childhood education experts, and the only childcare software endorsed by the Canadian Child Care Federation, Storypark delivers proven impact you can depend on.

Join us for a fascinating discussion with Marc Battle about radically rethinking children’s rights. How can we ensure children are truly heard, even when it comes to the construction of their own early learning programs? Marc is an ECE instructor at Red River College in Winnipeg, who also works with Aboriginal Head Start programs. Marc first worked at Toronto’s Children Services, then at the child care centre at Durham College. For six years, he taught ECE at Northwest Community College in BC. Inspired by fellow ECE instructor Joan Turecki, he became interested in emergent curriculum, which builds on the children’s interests, and in incorporating a more artistic approach to child care programs. He has been at Red River College since 2002. Marc is a passionate speaker on a variety of topics including risky play, rich learning environments, quality interactions, inclusion, and guiding children toward discovery of their full potential. Storypark: Putting the child at the heart of childcare management Storypark is an all-in-one childcare management platform built to empower quality-focused early learning services to streamline operations, so they can focus on what matters most: nurturing every child’s unique potential. With all the tools you expect in a childcare management software, what makes Storypark special is our sector-leading family engagement and learning documentation tools that are at the heart of our platform.  Shaped by early childhood education experts, and the only childcare software endorsed by the Canadian Child Care Federation, Storypark delivers proven impact you can depend on.