1KHO 907: Play Is An Emotional Release Valve | Tamara Neufeld Strijak, Reclaiming Our Students

Ginny Yurich sits down with Tamara Neufeld Strijack, co-author of Reclaiming Our Students, for a powerful conversation about what children need to thrive in a world increasingly dominated by screens, schedules, and peer influence. Tamara explains why children are meant to orient around caring adults—and how strong relationships with parents, teachers, and mentors create the safety children need to learn, grow, and become themselves.

They explore the essential role of play, nature, movement, and the arts as “emotional playgrounds”—places where frustration, anxiety, and other emotions can safely move through rather than erupt as aggression. Tamara also unpacks the powerful shift from “mad to sad,” explaining why allowing children to experience disappointment and tears is actually part of developing resilience.

Plus, Ginny and Tamara discuss “collecting”—the simple practice of intentionally welcoming children back into relationship—and why feeling seen, enjoyed, and cared for can transform homes and classrooms. It’s a hopeful, practical conversation about slowing down, reconnecting, and making room for the experiences children were designed to have.

Get Tamara's book here!

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