Welcome to Actions of Play, a podcast for early childhood educators who believe in the power of play. Hosted by Heather Jackson, a Reggio Emilia–inspired educator with 40+ years of experience, this podcast shares stories, insights, and practical strategies to deepen your practice. From play schemas and observation to child-led learning, explore how to support curiosity, creativity, and connection in early childhood education.
In this episode of Actions of Play, Heather explores the Reggio Emilia concept of the Hundred Languages of Children and what it can teach us about the many ways children communicate, investigate, build theories, and make meaning through play.
From movement and construction to clay, storytelling, light, sound, gesture, and even silence, Heather invites educators to look more closely at what children may already be telling us.
This episode explores the educator’s role in listening, documenting, responding, and creating environments where children have more than one way to explore an idea.
Because sometimes the learning isn’t in the finished product. It’s in the tower that keeps falling, the repeated movement, the mark in the clay, or the idea a child returns to again and again.
RESOURCES
Book: 100 Languages of Children (https://link.amazon/B01TdJkrS)
NO WAY. THE HUNDRED IS THERE- Reggio Children publication (https://www.reggiochildren.it/en/reggio-emilia-approach/100-linguaggi-en/).
Blog Post: RobertapucciLab: The One Hundred Languages of Children (https://www.robertapuccilab.com/walks-maps/whats-the-meaning-of-the-100-languages-2/)
SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW
If you found this episode valuable, we invite you to subscribe and leave a review. Your support helps us reach more educators who are committed to deepening their practice and creating meaningful learning experiences for children.
CONNECT WITH HEATHER
Heather Instagram: @thesunflower_studio (https://www.instagram.com/thesunflower_studio/)
School Instagram: @thesunflowerschool (https://www.instagram.com/thesunflowerschool)
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-jackson-17b0b455/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-jackson-17b0b455/)
Take a Virtual Tour: Click Here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4DJUoMhR-U&t=9s)
Book: Actions of Play (https://link.amazon/B07WJCkm5)
26 Sept 2026
Image of the Child
In this episode of Actions of Play, Heather Jackson explores the image of the child through a Reggio Emilia lens and what that belief looks like in everyday practice.
Heather shares why children are not empty vessels waiting for adults to fill them with knowledge, but creative meaning-makers who learn through relationships, inquiry, play and many different forms of expression.
Through stories from her own practice at The Sunflower School, Heather looks at what can happen when educators resist the urge to step in with the answer and instead observe, listen, offer materials and give children space to work through their own ideas.
She also explores the idea of the “rich child,” the role of the educator as researcher and how the image we hold of children influences the environments we create, the questions we ask, the risks we allow and the possibilities we make available.
This episode is an invitation to reflect on the image of the child you carry into your own practice and how that image shows up in the choices you make every day.
RESOURCES
Book: 100 Languages of Children (https://link.amazon/B01TdJkrS)
Loris Malaguzzi — Your Image of the Child: Where Teaching BeginsAn exploration of how the image we hold of children influences the way we teach, interact and create learning environments. LINK (https://www.reggioalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/malaguzziccie1994.pdf?utm)
Carla Rinaldi — The Teacher as a ResearcherA deeper look at the educator’s role as observer, listener and researcher within the Reggio Emilia Approach.- LINK (https://www.reggioalliance.org/innovations-10-2/?utm)
Ontario Reggio AssociationResources, articles and professional learning related to the Reggio Emilia Approach.https://ontarioreggioassociation.ca/resources/ (https://ontarioreggioassociation.ca/resources/)
Reggio Children: Learn more about the Reggio Emilia Approach directly from Reggio Emilia, including the image of the child, the hundred languages, documentation and research.https://www.reggiochildren.it/en/ (https://www.reggiochildren.it/en/)
SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW
If you found this episode valuable, we invite you to subscribe and leave a review. Your support helps us reach more educators who are committed to deepening their practice and creating meaningful learning experiences for children.
CONNECT WITH HEATHER
Heather Instagram: @thesunflower_studio (https://www.instagram.com/thesunflower_studio/)
School Instagram: @thesunflowerschool (https://www.instagram.com/thesunflowerschool)
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-jackson-17b0b455/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-jackson-17b0b455/)
Take a Virtual Tour: Click Here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4DJUoMhR-U&t=9s)
Book: Actions of Play (https://link.amazon/B07WJCkm5)
19 Sept 2026
Bridging the Gap Between Educators and Families with The Educator’s Table
In this episode of Actions of Play, Heather is joined by Vicki and Emily from The Educator’s Table for a conversation about the relationship between early childhood educators and families.
They explore why that relationship can sometimes feel disconnected, what families may not see about the work happening in early learning programs, and why educators also need to understand the realities families are navigating outside of child care.
The conversation also touches on play, professional learning, educator burnout, and the importance of creating stronger connections around the children we all care about.
LINKS
Educator’s Table Podcast: https://educators-table.com/#podcast (https://educators-table.com/#podcast)
Educator’s Website: https://educators-table.com/ (https://educators-table.com/)
Educator’s Table Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.educators.table/ (https://www.instagram.com/the.educators.table/)
SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW
If you found this episode valuable, we invite you to subscribe and leave a review. Your support helps us reach more educators who are committed to deepening their practice and creating meaningful learning experiences for children.
CONNECT WITH HEATHER
Heather Instagram: @thesunflower_studio (https://www.instagram.com/thesunflower_studio/)
School Instagram: @thesunflowerschool (https://www.instagram.com/thesunflowerschool)
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-jackson-17b0b455/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-jackson-17b0b455/)
Take a Virtual Tour: Click Here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4DJUoMhR-U&t=9s)
Book: Actions of Play (https://link.amazon/B07WJCkm5)
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