My Story as The Know & Play Space Founder

Hi, I'm Becca, founder of The Know & Play Space. Today I want to share the journey that brought all of this wonderful space together.

The Know & Play Space began on maternity leave.

I was a teacher, temporarily out of the classroom, trying to hold onto the part of myself that understood children and knew how to support them. So, I started sharing small snippets of what I was doing at home with my then one year old. Simple invitations to play. Developmentally appropriate activities. The ways I was thoughtfully setting up his environment based on his interests, his schemas and where he was in his development.

The response surprised me.

So many other parents wanted to do the same thing for their children. They wanted to know what to offer, when to offer it, why it mattered and how to do it. But mostly, they wanted to feel confident that they were doing the right things for their child, at the right time.

Many simply didn't know where to begin, and I realised... I could help with that.

Where it began

Those early days of The Know & Play Space were simple. It was purely a growing bank of purposeful play ideas and printable resources, designed to support children's development through play and everyday learning. But as my eldest grew older, I began noticing another pattern emerging. Parents were searching for more learning-based activities for their preschool aged children - particularly around literacy, maths and school readiness. At the same time, I could see how often children were being pushed towards formal academics before the crucial developmental foundations had been properly established.

I couldn't ignore it.

That led to the creation of the Know & Play Preschool Play & Learn Guides - a more intentional progression of developmentally appropriate activities designed to support the foundations of literacy, communication, early maths, fine motor development and learning through play.

When everything shifted

After having my youngest and stepping away from the education system, something changed more deeply. I stopped questioning only what children were learning. I started asking bigger questions about how children develop, what they truly need in order to thrive and whether modern childhood was really allowing enough space for this to happen naturally.

I found myself sitting with things I had always known professionally but was now experiencing far more personally.

Children's environments influence behaviour. Play supports development. Development underpins learning. Relationships shape confidence. Curiosity fuels understanding.

And, most importantly, children do not all grow at the same pace, in the same way or move through the same seasons at the same time.

I began to realise that my values around childhood, learning and development no longer fully aligned with the traditional system I had once worked within. I found myself drawn instead towards approaches rooted more deeply in development, connection, play, emotional wellbeing, realistic expectations and protecting the wonder of childhood itself.

From that point, The Know & Play Space became something much bigger than activities and resources. It became rooted in a philosophy.

The foundation beneath everything

What I bring to The Know & Play Space is not just a set of ideas - it is years of experience, research, learning and genuine love for this work.

Before building this space, I spent many years working in education as a qualified Primary teacher, supporting children across a wide range of ages, stages and developmental needs. Over time I became increasingly fascinated not only by what children were learning, but by how they learn best, and the environments, relationships and experiences that allow them to truly thrive.

Within school settings, I went on to be Year Group Leaders, as well as EYFS & KS1 Phonics & Literacy Lead, working not only with children but with colleagues and families to deepen understanding of how children develop as readers, communicators and learners.

Alongside all of this, becoming a parent to two boys brought an entirely new perspective. Observing my own children closely - following their interests, noticing their schemas, adapting their environments and opportunities for play, brought everything I knew professionally into sharp, personal focus.

It asked me to look again, more carefully and more curiously.

What The Know & Play Space is built on

My approach is not built around one single educational philosophy or pathway. Instead it draws inspiration from a range of approaches - Montessori, Waldorf, Reggio Emilia and beyond, always filtered through a deep understanding of child development and what actually works for real families in real homes.

At the heart of everything is one core belief:

When we understand children more deeply, we can support them more intentionally and meaningfully - through all Seasons of Childhood.

Today, The Know & Play Space continues to grow into a multifaceted developmental support platform, bringing together educational knowledge, ongoing professional development, research and the lived reality of family life to offer guidance that is practical, realistic and genuinely rooted in childhood.

I know what it is to be a parent navigating this. I know what it is to be an educator trying to do right by children within systems that don't always make that easy. And I know what it is to step away from those systems and build something that feels more true.

This space exists because of all of those things.

Thank you so much for being here.

Happy Knowing & Playing!

Becca

The Know & Play Space

'where all can play & grow, learn & know'

Guiding you through The Forest and Seasons of Childhood