The Playful Lens

✨Shaping minds, connections and creativity through play, playfulness and playful learning for all✨

Welcome to The Playful Lens - the podcast where curiosity, creativity and coffee fuel big conversations about learning, wellbeing and play.

Hosted by Gillian (@the_glitter_and_coffee_teacher) and Helena (@experiential.wellbeing). 

This important conversation highlights how principals’ attitudes toward play shape school culture, teacher mindsets and meaningful relationships across the school community. Dr. Siobhán Kennan Fitzgerald reflects on bringing playful pedagogies into her school—embracing outdoor learning, strengthening connections and modelling playfulness as a school leader.
It explores how play supports classroom management and behaviour, confidence and self-expression, while also acknowledging the challenges and rewards of embedding a playful culture. The discussion touches on the healing power of play and the personal experiences that inform a principal’s playful approach.

Follow the conversation on Instagram @the_playful_lens_podcast and subscribe wherever you listen!

We hope you enjoy 
Gillian and Helena
 
[email protected]

✨Shaping minds, connections and creativity through play, playfulness and playful learning for all✨

Welcome to The Playful Lens - the podcast where curiosity, creativity and coffee fuel big conversations about learning, wellbeing and play.

Hosted by Gillian (@the_glitter_and_coffee_teacher) and Helena (@experiential.wellbeing). 

In this insightful interview, Dr. Mary O'Kane explores the critical role of play in children's mental health, resilience and development. She discusses the impact of social media, smartphones, overprotective parenting and societal attitudes on play and well-being, offering practical advice for parents, teachers and caregivers.

Follow the conversation on Instagram @the_playful_lens_podcast and subscribe wherever you listen!

We hope you enjoy 
Gillian and Helena
[email protected]

✨Shaping minds, connections and creativity through play, playfulness and playful learning for all✨

Welcome to The Playful Lens - the podcast where curiosity, creativity and coffee fuel big conversations about learning, wellbeing and play.

Hosted by Gillian (@the_glitter_and_coffee_teacher) and Helena (@experiential.wellbeing). 

In this episode of The Playful Lens, Angela Cummins, a special education teacher, shares her insights on the importance of play in autism education. With over two decades of experience, Angela discusses her unique teaching environment, the significance of building relationships with students and the role of play in fostering learning and development. She emphasises the need for inclusivity, life skills and the magic moments that occur in the classroom, all while maintaining a playful and engaging atmosphere for her students.

Follow the conversation on Instagram @the_playful_lens_podcast and subscribe wherever you listen!

We hope you enjoy 
Gillian and Helena
[email protected]

✨Shaping minds, connections and creativity through play, playfulness and playful learning for all✨

Welcome to The Playful Lens - the podcast where curiosity, creativity and coffee fuel big conversations about learning, wellbeing and play.

Hosted by Gillian (@the_glitter_and_coffee_teacher) and Helena (@experiential.wellbeing). 

In this episode of The Playful Lens, Tracy McElheron shares her extensive experience in early childhood education, emphasising the critical role of play in child development. With over 25 years in the field, Tracy discusses how play has evolved over the years, highlighting three main areas of change: place, time and the nature of toys. She reflects on her own childhood experiences of unstructured play and contrasts them with the more organised and supervised play of today, which she believes limits children's creativity and problem-solving skills. Tracy passionately advocates for the importance of reconnecting with the essence of play, not just for children but for adults as well, as a means to foster relationships and enhance well-being.

Follow the conversation on Instagram @the_playful_lens_podcast and subscribe wherever you listen!

We hope you enjoy 
Gillian and Helena
[email protected]

✨Shaping minds, connections and creativity through play, playfulness and playful learning for all✨

Welcome to The Playful Lens - the podcast where curiosity, creativity and coffee fuel big conversations about learning, wellbeing and play.

Hosted by Gillian (@the_glitter_and_coffee_teacher) and Helena (@experiential.wellbeing).

Edel Lawlor shares her journey from a social care practitioner to a play therapist, highlighting the therapeutic power of play and its impact on children's well-being. She outlines how children tell their stories through play and discusses the decline in children's play, the importance of play for parents, and the benefits of play therapy for teenagers and adults with disabilities. Edel also gives advice on how getting back to basics is often what our children really need and how her work has led her to appreciate the life changing power of simple experiences.

Here is a link to Edel's inspirational Ted Talk: Unconditional Kindness Towards Children

Follow the conversation on Instagram @the_playful_lens_podcast and subscribe wherever you listen!

We hope you enjoy
Gillian and Helena

[email protected]