Ep 71 Unlocking the Transformative Power of Play with Sally Haughey

In this episode of Blooming Curious, I welcome Sally Haughey, (pronounced Hoy) the founder and CEO of Wunderled, formerly known as Fairy Dust Teaching. Sally shares her journey from beginning her teaching career in 1996 to building a global community of over 240,000 educators across 120 countries. Sally Emphasises a play-based philosophy inspired by Waldorf and Reggio Emilia approaches, she discusses the profound impact of play on children's development and imagination. She reveals the inspiration behind the creation and evolution of Wunderled and highlights the core philosophy that champions curiosity-driven and wonder-based teaching. Sally also addresses the current challenges educators face, such as classroom management and emotional wellbeing, and provides strategies for incorporating play and building relationships with students. Tune in to learn more about Sally's upcoming projects, her vision for the future of education, and practical ways for educators to foster an engaging, play-centered learning environment.🔗 For the links and details go to the episode website.✍️ To sign up to Get Curious, the newsletter that gives you a dose of weekly inspiration, and the strategies and resources to help you, help children to thrive in their learning, go HERE💌 Connect with Edwina:Email: [e-mail]: https://www.instagram.com/blooming_curious/Website: https://www.bloomingcurious.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/bloomingcuriousYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@edsbloomingcurious☕️ If you appreciate my work and want to encourage me to keep going, you can do so by buying me a coffee! Any contribution will be gratefully received and will certainly give me the support I need to keep going.☕️00:00 Introduction to Sally Haughey and Wunderled01:23 The Birth of Fairy Dust Teaching03:23 The Evolution to Wunderled05:38 Core Philosophy of Wunderled07:06 Challenges in Traditional Education09:14 Play-Based Learning in Practice13:46 Balancing Curriculum and Play14:30 The Importance of Relationships in Education17:30 Empowering Educators and Students30:14 The Future of Education31:43 Introduction to Hummingbird Cottage32:59 The Importance of Meeting Children's Needs35:29 The Role of Play in Child Development38:00 Delaying Formal Education41:18 Parental Pressure and Educational Milestones44:32 The Movement Towards Homeschooling47:08 Challenges in Modern Education51:42 Empowering Educators with Play-Based Learning55:56 Conclusion and Final Thoughts