The Language of Play - Kids that Listen, Speech Therapy, Language Development, Early Intervention

Hey Friends~ 

What if your child’s wildest, most ridiculous ideas are actually a doorway into learning? In this episode, I talk with Josh Davidson, co-founder of Night Zookeeper, about using imagination, creativity, and play to help children develop reading and writing skills. We explore how drawing, talking, and writing about their ideas gives children multiple ways to express themselves, expand their language, organize their thoughts, and build confidence. Writing isn’t separate from verbal expression. It can actually help strengthen it.

We also look at technology through a different lens: After your child has been on a screen, what did that screen cause them to create? Could they tell you about it, draw it, write about it, or turn it into a conversation with you? The best technology doesn’t just keep children occupied. It gives them something they can’t wait to tell you about, even if that something happens to be a ridiculous farting dinosaur.

Always cheering you on!

Dinalynn 

EMAIL:  hello@thelanguageofplay.com
BOOK A CALL: https://calendly.com/hello-play/strategy-session

WEBSITE:  https://www.thelanguageofplay.com/

QUESTION or COMMENT? Leave a voice message!  https://castfeedback.com/play

 

ABOUT THE GUEST:   Joshua Davidson is the creator and co‑founder of Night Zookeeper, an award-winning online learning program that helps children aged 6–12 fall in love with reading, writing, and creativity through games and storytelling. He’s also the author of the Night Zookeeper Adventure book series, which follows Night Zookeeper Will into the magical Night Zoo filled with fantastical creatures dreamed up by children. Josh is passionate about giving kids the confidence to see themselves as writers and creators, and he speaks regularly about the power of play, stories, and co-created worlds in education. 

CONTACT THE GUEST:  

Email: Josh@nightzookeeper.com

Website:  https://www.nightzookeeper.com/

Specials Pricing for The Language Of Play listeners: https://www.nightzookeeper.com/parents?ref=yweymwq

 

A BIG THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSOR! 

Clever Elly
The a car charger that talks to you and helps you remember. Click here to learn more and claim the special listener bonus!  https://cleverelly.com/r?id=246rdm

 

IF YOU LIKED THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL WANT TO LISTEN TO THESE EPISODES:

190 Bob Hastings: Using Storytelling to Help Kids Listen & Imagine

156 Raising Your Creative Independent Thinker? Sharon Fillmore Helps You With These Wonderful Curious Children!

230 Daniela Feldhausen: Speech Sounds and Reading Are Linked. Fun Ways Parents and Educators Can Help

 

ove this podcast?  Let us know!  https://lovethepodcast.com/play

Follow & subscribe in 1-click!  https://followthepodcast.com/play

To SPONSOR The Language Of Play, schedule your call here:  https://calendly.com/hello-play/discovery-session

To DONATE to The Language Of Play, Use this secure payment link: https://app.autobooks.co/pay/the-language-of-play

Hey Friends~ 

Why does your child fall apart over transitions they know how to do - or do every day?

Getting out the door, leaving the playground, turning off the tablet, or getting ready for bed can be a battle.  

In this episode, you’ll discover why transitions can be so difficult, seven reasons your checklist or visual schedule may not be helping yet, and simple shifts that can make routines easier to understand and follow. Because a visual schedule isn’t just about showing your child what to do. It helps their brain understand what’s happening now and what’s coming next. And knowing what’s coming next can make transitions feel much safer.

Always cheering you on! 

Dinalynn

CONTACT the Host, Dinalynn:  hello@thelanguageofplay.com

Have a QUESTION or COMMENT? Leave a voice message!  https://castfeedback.com/play

WEBSITE:  https://www.thelanguageofplay.com/

https://www.thelanguageofplay.com/waitlist

 

A BIG THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSOR! 

Clever Elly
The a car charger that talks to you and helps you remember. Click here to learn more and claim the special listener bonus!  https://cleverelly.com/r?id=246rdm

 

IF YOU LIKED THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL WANT TO LISTEN TO THESE EPISODES:

112 Do You Hesitate To Interrupt Your Child's Activity? 4 Steps To Easier Transitions

113 - 3 Tools That Help Your Child To Transition From One Activity To The Next!

245 Toys That Create Calm: Helping Toddlers With Transitions and Meltdowns During the Holidays

246 Dr. Marcus: Are you a soothing presence for your child?

Love this podcast?  Please let us know!  https://lovethepodcast.com/play

Be sure to Follow & Subscribe in 1-click!  https://followthepodcast.com/play

To SPONSOR The Language Of Play, schedule your call here:   https://calendly.com/hello-play/discovery-session

To DONATE to The Language Of Play, Use this secure payment link:  https://app.autobooks.co/pay/the-language-of-play

Hey Friends~ 

Have you ever thought about what your baby is actually experiencing when you sing to them?

Because it turns out, your baby doesn’t care whether you think you can sing. Your baby wants to hear you sing.  And those little moments of singing, playing, smiling, and simply enjoying each other can do far more than fill the time. They can help build secure connection, support emotional regulation, and even lay foundations for language.

Today’s guest, musician, music therapist, and psychotherapist: Vered, calls some of these experiences “Bubble Moments”:  those beautiful moments when you and your child are genuinely happy together.  And what I love is that she says we don’t have to just wait for those moments to happen. We can actually create them, especially in the ordinary, repeatable moments of our day. And then Vered said something that absolutely fascinated me: a song can become an emotional transitional object for a child, much like a favorite blanket or pacifier, because the music itself holds feeling.

Today, we’re talking about music, play, connection, regulation, sound and silence, and the surprising ways all of it can support your child’s communication and language. 

And yes, even if you’re convinced you cannot sing, this episode is for you!

Always cheering you on! 

Dinalynn

CONTACT the Host, Dinalynn:  hello@thelanguageofplay.com

Have a QUESTION or COMMENT? Leave a voice message!  https://castfeedback.com/play

WEBSITE:  https://www.thelanguageofplay.com/

 

ABOUT THE GUEST:   Vered Benhorin, LCAT, is a music therapist, psychotherapist, parenting author, recording artist, mother of three, and family connection expert whose work brings together attachment theory, music, mindfulness, and play. Her approach began with her own experience as a new mother, when she discovered how singing, movement, and playful interaction deepened the connection she felt with her infant son, Peleg. That experience grew into Baby in Tune, through which she has helped thousands of parents build stronger relationships with their babies, as well as her book, What Do I Do With My Baby All Day?!: Simple Ways to Have the Best First Year Together. Her award-winning music has received Parents’ Choice and NAPPA Gold Awards, and her newest album, Adorable You, brings her story full circle: nearly two decades after inspiring her work, Peleg helped write and produce the album and added his own vocals and harmonies. 

FREEEBIE:  4 Bubble Moments parents can do with their baby   www.babyintune.com/bubblemoments

Free to LIsten:  www.babyintune.com/book 

Spotify:  https://open.spotify.com/album/4CiGB86FsFsnNklNc45axA?si=ZWM1l58eStmRpcvVdIcEqw 

 

CONTACT THE GUEST:  veredr@hotmail.com

www.babyintune.com

www.babyintune.com/music

www.instagram.com/babyintune

https://www.tiktok.com/@babyintune

 

A BIG THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSOR! 

Clever Elly
The a car charger that talks to you and helps you remember. Click here to learn more and claim the special listener bonus!  https://cleverelly.com/r?id=246rdm

 

IF YOU LIKED THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL WANT TO LISTEN TO THESE EPISODES:

268 Emily Cadiz: What If Music Isn’t a Bonus—but the Brain’s Gateway to Reading?

270 Tracie Rieder: Using Signs As A Bridge To Speaking

273 Margot Bevington: Can Music Help Kids Acquire Language?

11 Building Deeper Connection Through Communication Using SIGNS with Your Babies

 

WE’VE MADE IT EASY FOR YOU! 

Love this podcast?  Let us know!  https://lovethepodcast.com/play

Follow & subscribe in 1-click!  https://followthepodcast.com/play

To SPONSOR The Language Of Play, schedule your call here:  https://calendly.com/hello-play/discovery-session

To DONATE to The Language Of Play, Use this secure payment link: https://app.autobooks.co/pay/the-language-of-play

Hey Friends~ 

Back-to-school season brings a lot of change—and sometimes, a lot more meltdowns, “NOs,” and moments when your child suddenly seems unable to do something you know they can do. - and it seems like they are REFUSING TO DO.  

But what if the problem isn’t ACTUALLY refusal?

In this episode, we’ll explore why transitions can be so challenging for kids—and how all that change can make it harder for them to listen, understand, and respond.

You’ll learn three simple ways to make transitions easier, reduce frustration, and help your child understand what’s coming next.

Happy Back-to-school season!  

Always cheering you on! 

Dinalynn

CONTACT the Host, Dinalynn:  hello@thelanguageofplay.com

Have a QUESTION or COMMENT? Leave a voice message!  https://castfeedback.com/play

Follow & subscribe in 1-click!  https://followthepodcast.com/play

Love this podcast?  Let us know!  https://lovethepodcast.com/play

WEBSITE:  https://www.thelanguageofplay.com/

 

**GET ON THE WAITLIST!  https://www.thelanguageofplay.com/waitlist

 

A BIG THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSOR: Clever Elly
The a car charger that talks to you and helps you remember. Click here to learn more and claim the special listener bonus!  https://cleverelly.com/r?id=246rdm

 

IF YOU LIKED THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL WANT TO LISTEN TO THESE EPISODES:

112 Do You Hesitate To Interrupt Your Child's Activity? 4 Steps To Easier Transitions

113 - 3 Tools That Help Your Child To Transition From One Activity To The Next!

207 Preschooler Needs A Nap, But Doesn’t Nap? Making This Transition Positive

245 Toys That Create Calm: Helping Toddlers With Transitions and Meltdowns During the Holidays

 

To SPONSOR The Language Of Play, schedule your call here:  https://calendly.com/hello-play/discovery-session

To DONATE to The Language Of Play, Use this secure payment link: https://app.autobooks.co/pay/the-language-of-play

Hey Friends~ 

Do you want your child to cooperate with you—or simply comply? The difference may be more important than we realize.  Katherine Sellery explores what happens when parenting relies on power over children and introduces the 3 R’s: Resistance, Rebellion, and Retaliation—responses that can grow when children feel controlled.

This episode offers a different way forward: moving beyond obedience and compliance toward consideration, connection, and understanding. Katherine also shares how observing without immediately judging can help us see what is really happening beneath a child’s behavior.

Along the way, we explore staying present, regulating our own responses, and recognizing how our thoughts influence the way we respond to our children.

This conversation is an invitation to reconsider authority, look beneath behavior, and see our children through a different lens.

Perhaps the most beautiful reminder of all:   See your children beautiful.

Always cheering you on! 

Dinalynn

CONTACT the Host, Dinalynn:  hello@thelanguageofplay.com

Have a QUESTION or COMMENT? Leave a voice message!  https://castfeedback.com/play

WEBSITE:  https://www.thelanguageofplay.com/

Email WAITLIST to  hello@thelanguageofplay.com

 

ABOUT THE GUEST:   Katherine Sellery, CEO and Founder of Conscious Parenting Revolution, helps individuals minimize misunderstandings and melt-downs in order to communicate with more collaboration, cooperation, and consideration. As a creator of the Guidance Approach to Parenting, a program that applies conflict resolution skills to communicating more effectively with children, Katherine has positively influenced relationships for generations and brought about healing and reconciliation in families that were suffering from disconnection. Through her comprehensive training programs, popular workshops, bestselling Amazon Ebook, TedX talks, and numerous major media appearances, Katherine has taught and coached thousands of parents, educators, social workers, and medical professionals on how to forge stronger relationships with their children. 

Free Gift : 7 Strategies To Keep Your Relationship With Your Kids From Hitting The Boiling Point  https://consciousparentingrevolution.com/ebook/

CONTACT THE GUEST:   

Website: https://consciousparentingrevolution.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katherine-sellery/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/consciousparentingrevolution/

Katherine’s FB: https://www.facebook.com/katherine.wintersellery/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katherine_sellery/

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@katherine_sellery

X: https://x.com/K_WinterSellery

 

IF YOU LIKED THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL WANT TO LISTEN TO THESE EPISODES:

102 Top 4 Mistakes Parents Make And How to Correct Them!

157 When A Temper Tantrum Isn’t A Temper Tantrum??!!

176 Markus Higgs: Kids Yelling At You? Here's A Better Way To Handle it

203 Jill Garner: Building Respect & Security. It Happens Earlier Than You Think!

 

WE’VE MADE IT EASY FOR YOU! 

Love this podcast?  Let us know!  https://lovethepodcast.com/play

Follow & subscribe in 1-click!  https://followthepodcast.com/play

To SPONSOR The Language Of Play, schedule your call here:  https://calendly.com/hello-play/discovery-session

To DONATE to The Language Of Play, Use this secure payment link: https://app.autobooks.co/pay/the-language-of-play