January 15, 2026 / News & Blog
At a time when childhood feels increasingly hurried, scheduled, and saturated with screens, it can be easy to forget a fundamental truth: children learn best when they play. Yet play is often the first thing to disappear under pressure from academics, technology, and the belief that more structure equals more success.
In a recent conversation with Arthur Affleck, Dr. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, New York Times–bestselling author and one of the nation’s leading voices in the science of learning, makes a compelling case for why play is not optional, nostalgic, or frivolous. It is essential. Drawing on decades of research, lived experience as a parent and grandparent, and her work with children’s museums and public spaces around the world, Kathy invites us to rethink how children grow, how families function, and what truly prepares young people for the future.
Kathy begins with a simple but powerful insight from neuroscience: the human brain learns best when it is active, engaged, meaningful, socially interactive, and joyful. These are not abstract ideals. They are the same conditions that define play.
Too often, learning is treated as something passive, something delivered to children rather than created with them. Kathy pushes back on that idea, explaining that memorization and drill-based approaches may produce short-term results, but they fail to build the deeper skills children need to thrive. When children play, they are experimenting, testing ideas, collaborating with others, and learning how to persist through failure.
A child building a tower of blocks is not just stacking objects. That child is exploring balance, cause and effect, problem-solving, communication, and confidence. When the tower falls, the learning does not stop. In fact, it deepens. Will the child walk away frustrated, or try again with a new strategy? Play creates space for that choice, and that choice matters.
One of the most resonant themes in the conversation is the idea that learning happens everywhere. Children spend only a small portion of their waking hours in school, yet most educational investments focus exclusively on classrooms. Kathy challenges us to consider the remaining hours of a child’s day, time spent waiting for buses, walking down sidewalks, grocery shopping, or sitting in public spaces.
This insight led to the creation of Playful Learning Landscapes, an initiative that reimagines everyday environments as opportunities for learning and connection. Bus stops become places for puzzles and storytelling. Benches invite conversation and creativity. Public spaces send children a powerful message: you belong here, and your curiosity matters.
Children’s museums play a central role in this vision. As Kathy puts it, playful learning landscapes are about taking the spirit of the children’s museum and extending it beyond the museum walls. Museums demonstrate what learning can look like when children are invited to explore freely, and that same philosophy can transform entire communities.
Kathy speaks candidly about the realities of modern parenting. Families today are overwhelmed by constant notifications, packed schedules, and the fear that if they slow down, their children will fall behind. What once was described as the “hurried child” has evolved into what Kathy calls the “crazed parent.”
The result is exhaustion for adults and anxiety for children. In trying to do everything right, families often lose the joy that should be at the heart of raising children. Kathy emphasizes that play does not require elaborate planning or additional time. It can be woven into everyday moments, like noticing letters on license plates, asking questions in the grocery store, or simply allowing space for boredom.
Boredom, she reminds us, is not the enemy. It is often the birthplace of creativity, curiosity, and motivation.
The conversation also addresses one of the most urgent issues facing families and educators: technology. Screens are not going away, and Kathy is clear that the goal is not to eliminate them entirely. The real challenge is understanding how and when technology supports development, and when it replaces what children need most.
For young children, especially in the first three years of life, human interaction is irreplaceable. Kathy explains that brain development during this period depends on real relationships, eye contact, touch, and responsive communication. Tools can be helpful, but substitutes for human connection can be harmful.
As artificial intelligence enters children’s lives in new and powerful ways, Kathy urges caution. Anything that pretends to replace human interaction rather than support it risks undermining healthy development. Children need people, not simulations, to grow socially and emotionally.
In recent years, social and emotional learning has become a point of controversy in public discourse. Kathy is unequivocal in her response. Social, emotional, cognitive, and academic development are deeply intertwined. You cannot separate them without misunderstanding how children learn.
A museum exhibit where children negotiate roles, communicate ideas, and solve problems together is simultaneously supporting language development, critical thinking, emotional regulation, and collaboration. These skills are not add-ons. They are foundational.
Kathy argues that educators, museum professionals, and researchers must continue to advocate for this holistic view of development, even when it becomes politically uncomfortable. Children need adults who are willing to speak up on their behalf.
Throughout the conversation, Kathy returns to a theme that feels both urgent and hopeful: joy. Play brings joy back into learning. It brings joy back into parenting. It reminds adults of what it feels like to be curious, creative, and present.
As a grandparent, Kathy sees firsthand the pressures facing families today. She also sees children’s brilliance when adults slow down enough to notice it. Children are capable of far more than we often assume, but they need time, trust, and space to show us what they know.
This philosophy is at the heart of Kathy’s award-winning book Einstein Never Used Flashcards, which returns in an updated edition this January. The book responds directly to the challenges families face today, offering research-based guidance on how to nurture smart, social, and happy children in a world filled with distraction.
Kathy’s message is ultimately one of reassurance. Children have not changed. Their need for play, connection, and exploration remains the same. What has changed is the world around them.
Children’s museums, educators, caregivers, and community leaders have a powerful role to play in helping families navigate that world. By creating environments that invite play, honor curiosity, and prioritize relationships, we can help children develop the skills they need not just to succeed, but to flourish.
The work may feel challenging, but it is also deeply meaningful. As Kathy reminds us, there are few jobs more important than supporting children during the years when their brains, identities, and sense of possibility are taking shape.
Many of the ideas Dr. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek shares in this conversation—about playful learning, easing the pressure on families, and helping children thrive in a screen-saturated world—are explored more fully in her award-winning book, Einstein Never Used Flashcards.
An updated and expanded edition will be released on January 20, 2026, featuring new research and a timely chapter on screen time, AI, and raising children in today’s digital world. Grounded in science and filled with practical guidance, the book offers reassurance and clarity for parents, educators, and anyone who cares about children’s learning and well-being.
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TThis blog only scratches the surface of Dr. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek’s insights. To hear the full discussion, including her reflections on playful learning, parenting in a digital age, children’s museums, and the science behind how children thrive, we invite you to listen to the complete podcast episode:
🎧 Listen to the episode of Empowering Young Minds featuring Dr. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek
Empowering Young Minds, the Association of Children’s Museum Podcast is available on all major listening platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon Music!
