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Video Title

Do we really know the meaning of play? | Suzanne Axelsson

Video
Child Development
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Little Big Ideas podcast
Quality Practice
Video
Child Development
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Little Big Ideas podcast
Quality Practice

Do we really know the meaning of play? | Suzanne Axelsson

Video
Child Development
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Little Big Ideas podcast
Quality Practice

Do we really know the meaning of play? | Suzanne Axelsson

Storypark
April 30, 2026
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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.

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.

Other ways to listen

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Apple Podcasts

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.

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.

Other ways to listen

Spotify

Apple Podcasts

Putting the child at the heart of childcare management

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