Not Just Cute, the Podcast: Intentional Whole Child Development for Parents and Teachers of Young Children

In her January 2026 Congressional testimony, Emily Cherkin put it simply: "Parents are not naive — we know our children will use technology for work and life in adulthood. We just want to ensure they have a childhood first."
That testimony — covering the impact of screens, AI, and EdTech on kids — echoed so much of what I hear from parents and teachers alike: real questions about technology's place in the classroom and its effect on development. So I invited Emily to dig deeper.
Known as the Screentime Consultant, Emily has spent over a decade at the intersection of technology and child development. She's an author, speaker, and consultant, an associate professor of public policy at the University of Washington, and has testified before both the U.S. Senate and U.K. Parliament. She's also the lead plaintiff in a landmark lawsuit against EdTech companies over children's privacy — making her one of the most courageous, outspoken voices holding the industry accountable. Her book, Screentime Solution, lays out her practical, no-nonsense approach.
In this episode, Emily shares the questions every parent and educator should ask before introducing a new technology, why "tech-intentional" beats both anti-tech and tech-everywhere, and one of my favorite truisms: "The best preparation for a digital future is an analog childhood."
If you're trying to push back against the creeping screen-centered focus in early childhood spaces, this conversation is for you.
📝 Full show notes, links, and resources: notjustcute.com/podcast/episode87

div]:bg-bg-000/50 [&_pre>div]:border-0.5 [&_pre>div]:border-border-400 [&_.ignore-pre-bg>div]:bg-transparent [&_.standard-markdown_:is(p,blockquote,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6)]:pl-2 [&_.standard-markdown_:is(p,blockquote,ul,ol,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6)]:pr-8 [&_.progressive-markdown_:is(p,blockquote,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6)]:pl-2 [&_.progressive-markdown_:is(p,blockquote,ul,ol,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6)]:pr-8"> _*]:min-w-0 gap-3 standard-markdown"> A scoping review published in the Early Childhood Education Journal analyzed over 50 studies on play-based learning for ages 4-6, and the findings are too significant to ignore. This research synthesis shows play-based learning enhances cognitive skills, executive function, literacy, mathematics, and social-emotional development—yet we're not acting on it.
Parents remain skeptical of play as a teaching method, though their concerns fade when they see quality programs firsthand. Teachers endorse play but struggle to connect it with curricular requirements. And there's persistent confusion about whether there's one "right" way to implement play-based learning.
The research clarifies this: effective practice blends free play, guided play, and games. Different types of play support different developmental outcomes, so restricting children to a single approach is like limiting them to one food group. Teachers need the flexibility and professional development to use this full spectrum responsively.
We have the evidence. A 29-page appendix with 50+ study citations proves it. The question is whether we'll use it now—or look back in 20 years wondering why we didn't act when the research was right in front of us.
For educators, administrators, grad students, and anyone building evidence-based early childhood programs.
Find show notes at https://notjustcute.com/podcast/episode86

Joy is one of those concepts that everyone understands until you try to define it.  And yet, the research is remarkably clear about what it does. In this episode, we explore what joy actually is, why it matters so profoundly for young children, and what it looks like in the early childhood classroom. From the neuroscience of how joy changes the brain's chemistry and learning capacity, to the relational dimension of shared delight between children and the adults who care for them, this episode grounds joy firmly in both science and practice.
If you work with young children or advocate for play-based learning, this episode will give you the research and the language to protect joy in your program — and a compelling reminder of why that work matters. Part two of a two-episode series with Episode 84 on agency.
Because Play = Agency + Joy
Show Notes: https://notjustcute.com/podcast/episode85

Agency — the ability to make choices, act on them, and feel that those actions matter — is key to play and learning. In this episode, we dig into what agency really means for young children, tracing it through the work of foundational developmental theorists and grounding it in current research on how play, agency, and learning work together as a powerful, reinforcing system. Along the way, we name what's getting in the way — a cultural pattern I call pervasive passivity — and explore what it looks like when children lose access to the agency they need to thrive.
If you work with young children or advocate for play-based learning, this episode will give you both the research and the practical language to protect what matters most — including a surprising look at what current AI advances reveal about what we actually want for our young children.
Find shownotes at https://notjustcute.com/podcast/episode84

Professor and early childhood advocate Heather Bernt-Santy is widely known from her podcast as That Early Childhood Nerd.  In this episode, Heather talks about her new book, Using Schema Play Theory to Advocate for Free Play in Early Childhood.
Heather shares her journey through the early childhood profession and how writing her first book was a full-circle moment. She breaks down what schema play really is and why it matters so much for child development, as well as how schema play connects to major developmental and educational philosophies. If you love geeking out about how children think, learn, and grow through play, this conversation is full of moments you'll love.
Show Notes: 
https://notjustcute.com/podcast/episode83
Powerful Play Foundations:
https://notjustcute.com/powerfulplay