Play Under Pressure: How thinking like a play scientist turns pressure into playful possibilities by Juelie Perry-Schwartz, M.S.

What if the daily pressures you feel in early childhood education are not a signal to do more, but an invitation to examine the conditions more closely?

In this interactive, research-informed webinar, you will step into the role of a “Play Scientist” and test a powerful hypothesis: when pressure increases and play decreases, learning, connection, and well-being are compromised.

Through real-world insights, reflective play experiences, and brain-based research, you will explore how the current demands of the field—including compliance, documentation, challenging behaviors, and limited time—are influencing educator well-being, nurturing relationships, and children’s outcomes.

Using research and practical data points, this session will examine how stress increases cortisol, reduces patience, and disrupts connection, while play boosts dopamine, supports motivation, deepens engagement, and strengthens learning. Rather than adding more strategies to your already-full workload, this session invites you to challenge your thinking in order to change your practice.

You will discover how small, intentional moments of play can restore engagement, support regulation, and transform classroom dynamics without requiring extra time or additional resources.

The conclusion is clear: play is not an extra; it is essential. You’ll leave with a renewed perspective and practical strategies to play smarter, not harder, boost your impact, and reconnect with the joy and purpose of your work.

Learning Objectives

Participants will be able to:

1. Examine how current pressures in early childhood education, including compliance, documentation, challenging behaviors, and limited time, affect educator well-being, relationships, and child outcomes.

2. Describe how stress and play influence the brain, including the impact of cortisol on patience and connection and the role of dopamine in motivation, engagement, and learning.

3. Recognize how decreases in play can compromise regulation, connection, and deeper learning for both educators and children.

4. Identify small, intentional moments of play that can be embedded into daily routines without requiring additional time, materials, or resources.

5. Apply practical “play smarter, not harder” strategies to support engagement, regulation, classroom connection, and educator joy.