2025 Conference Keynote
Kristen Day
Friday Keynote ~ Kristen Day
“I Am Not Getting Them Ready For Kindergarten…”
Workshops-“The Yes Approach: Nurturing Creativity by Meeting Children’s Needs” & “Cabinet of Curiosity (and Creativity)”
Biography
Kristen RB Peterson is the retired founder of a magical place called Butterfly
Hill Nature Preschool. In her quest to create a place full of play, learning,
nature, emotions, and yes moments, Kristen discovered that play based
learning is a MUST for all early childhood environments and is an advocate for
play in early childhood.
She is not just a teacher and life long learner… She has four children, loves
donuts, reading everything and traveling to new places.
Now a podcaster, keynote speaker, and online entrepreneur, Kristen uses her
experience and B.A. in Education with an emphasis in ECE to help early
childhood educators find play, settle in, and enjoy the journey through training
and digital courses
Contact Information:
Website: www.kristenrbpeterson.com
I’m Not Getting Them Ready For Kindergarten
I’m Not Getting Them Ready for Kindergarten is a bold reframe of what it really means to
prepare children for school. Rather than rushing into academics, I believe in getting
children ready for kindergarten by letting them fully experience being 3, 4, and 5 years
old.
In this keynote, we’ll explore the critical role that play, wonder and child-led exploration
have in building the foundation for future learning. I’ll share how this approach not only
aligns with children’s developmental needs but actually sets them up for greater success in
school by fostering creativity, problem-solving, and emotional resilience. Because the best way
to prepare for kindergarten is to allow children to be children.
Keynote Session