Ep 21 | Building Deep Connections with Children: Robin Christie on Play, Failure, Curiosity, and Wonder
Play Nature PodcastShow Notes
Welcome to a world where play speaks louder than words. Where adults climb trees dressed as toucans, worms magically become two worms, and curiosity crackles like fairy lights in a cozy home-like space flooded with plants and laughter.
In this episode of the Play Nature Podcast, host Rusty Keeler and guest Robin Christie take us by the hand, skipping barefoot through ideas about playfulness, risk, resilience, and the joyful role of goofy, loving adults in children’s lives.
Their conversation touches on early childhood teaching in New Zealand, playful adult culture, humor as a first connection, the power of failure, and the soulful art of building truly soft, warm, homey learning spaces.
Top 3 Takeaways from Robin Christie:
Play is a universal language and adults must become playful participants, not observers, to truly connect with children.
Curiosity and wonder work together with curiosity filling knowledge gaps and wonder creating emotional engagement that drives deeper learning.
Failure is essential and modeling our own mistakes in front of children teaches resilience, courage, and authentic learning behavior.
Children need to see that adults are still learning too. That they are still curious, still surprised, still full of questions. That is how trust forms. That is how humans grow. That is how joy lives in learning… and in life
Links:
childspace.nz
@childspaceNZ on Facebook
@childspacenz on Instagram
Learn More: rustykeeler.com | @rusty_keeler_designs
Rusty’s FREE Outdoor Loose Parts Guide
More from Play Nature Podcast
Think about this…the best thing we can do for children is…less and then more. Less directing. Less correcting. Less rushing to the rescue. More mud. More mess. More wonder!
What if the answer to better learning, happier kids, and even easier classroom management is just outside the door?
What if play didn’t need a lesson plan? Or an outcome? Or a grown-up standing nearby explaining what’s supposed to happen next?
What happens when one kid climbs up the slide while another is coming down? Is going up the slide really dangerous? Or is it just one of those playground rules we’ve inherited without thinking too hard about it?
What happens when children meet a muddy hill, a dangling rope, and a whole lot of possibility? They climb. They slip. They tumble. They try again.