Skip to content
  • Home
  • About
  • Screen Reset
  • BlogExpand
    • Play
    • Learn
    • Thrive
  • Shop
Instagram Pinterest YouTube Facebook Twitter TikTok RSS Facebook Group
logo

Play

How to let your kids be kids, learn, grow and thrive via purposeful play, independent learning, and open-ended toys.

Slow Summer: How to Say No to Over-Scheduling and Yes to a More Meaningful Season
Intentional Family Living | Parenting | Play | Thrive

Slow Summer: How to Say No to Over-Scheduling and Yes to a More Meaningful Season

Summer Bucket List for Families Who Want More Connection & Less Distraction
Elementary (5-11 Years Old) | Infants (0-12 Months) | Intentional Family Living | Play | Pre-School (3-4 Years Old) | Thrive | Toddler (13-24 Months)

Summer Bucket List for Families Who Want More Connection & Less Distraction

Learning Through Play: How Play Fuels Child Development and Lifelong Learning
Play | Alternative Education

Learning Through Play: How Play Fuels Child Development and Lifelong Learning

A young child playing an educational game on a smartphone indoors, focused on learning.
Elementary (5-11 Years Old) | Infants (0-12 Months) | Play | Pre-School (3-4 Years Old) | Toddler (13-24 Months)

How Screen Time Undermines Independent Play—and Why It Matters for Your Child’s Development

The Rise of Childhood Anxiety: Why Kids Are Struggling and How We Can Help
Parenting | Play

The Rise of Childhood Anxiety: Why Kids Are Struggling and How We Can Help

Playroom Ideas for Small Rooms: Smart Solutions for Fun and Functionality
Elementary (5-11 Years Old) | Infants (0-12 Months) | Play | Pre-School (3-4 Years Old) | Toddler (13-24 Months)

Playroom Ideas for Small Rooms: Smart Solutions for Fun and Functionality

Dive into the benefits of risky play and learn why letting your child take calculated risks can be a transformative experience for their growth and development.
Play | Child Development | Learn

Risky Play: Why It’s Essential for Your Child’s Growth and Development

Dive into the world of nature with "25 Easy and Fun Spring Nature Activities for Kids". Explore the benefits of outdoor play and watch your child's curiosity and creativity flourish.
Play | Learn

25 Easy and Fun Spring Nature Activities for Kids

Here are some engaging, screen-free rainy day activities to keep your kids entertained and thriving when it's too rainy to play outside.
Elementary (5-11 Years Old) | Infants (0-12 Months) | Play | Pre-School (3-4 Years Old) | Toddler (13-24 Months)

26 Screen-Free Rainy Day Activities for Spring

Why Slow TV Shows Are a Gift for Kids in a Fast-Paced World
Elementary (5-11 Years Old) | Infants (0-12 Months) | Play | Pre-School (3-4 Years Old) | Toddler (13-24 Months)

Why Slow TV Shows Are a Gift for Kids in a Fast-Paced World

Page navigation

1 2 3 … 8 Next PageNext

Together we’ll slow down, stop rushing our kids through life and raise lifelong learners who will become confident and independent adults. 

Instagram Pinterest YouTube Facebook Twitter

thealannagallo

Helping parents rethink school, screens + modern childhood
Former teacher (M.Ed) → secular homeschooler
Raising curious, real-world-ready kids ↓

Nobody designed these games to be educational. Nob Nobody designed these games to be educational. Nobody was thinking about executive function or social development or attention spans.They were just fun.But here’s what’s wild: we were outside, moving, problem solving, competing, failing, and figuring things out together. Without a single screen involved.I think about this a lot when I watch my kids play. The less structured it is, the more they’re actually building.We didn’t need an app for that in 1993. We still don’t.Follow @thealannagallo for more.
Scarier than anything Netflix could come up with. Scarier than anything Netflix could come up with.Because somewhere along the way we decided that 7 year olds needed a 30 step skincare routine, recess was a privilege and not a right, and handing a kid a screen was easier than sitting with their boredom.And schools? Schools stopped assigning novels because kids can’t focus long enough to finish them. We gave them AI generated summaries and called it learning.This is the stuff that actually keeps me up at night. Not monsters. This.Follow @thealannagallo for more of these completely unhinged but entirely true observations.
And notice I said the SYSTEM not TEACHERS. The sys And notice I said the SYSTEM not TEACHERS. The system is failing and all the data backs it up.Let’s stop trying to flex that even 20 years ago teachers couldn’t get kids to read books… like what? 🫠It was bad then and it’s only getting worse (I know because I was a high school teacher for over a decade)…High stakes testing. EdTech. Curriculum choices driven by politics. Lack of teacher autonomy. Lack of parental involvement. 1:1 iPads for kindergartners Excessive screen use at home and in school. Gamified everything. Lack of recess time. Busy work for homework. Large class sizes. Lowering standards.Add that to…A society that doesn’t value the work of teachers. A society that doesn’t value intellectualism. A society that doesn’t value neurodiversity.There is a reason there is a mass exodus of teachers and a reason so many teachers are leaving to homeschool their own kids…
Homeschooling didn’t just change how our kids lear Homeschooling didn’t just change how our kids learn. It changed how we live.When you step off the conveyor belt you’re suddenly forced to ask questions you never thought to ask before. Why are we rushing? What are we teaching them? What are we letting in and what are we keeping out?We don’t have it all figured out. But we’re asking the questions. And that feels like enough.Follow @thealannagallo if you’re asking the same ones.
I don’t justify why we homeschool anymore. I reall I don’t justify why we homeschool anymore. I really don’t.Because when I sit down and actually list out what our days look like... the slow mornings, the history that isn't whitewashed, the fact that my kids have never once had to practice what to do if someone walks into their classroom with a gun – I stop feeling like I have anything to defend.I know it’s not for everyone. But it’s for us. And the longer we do it the more I realize we’re not missing out on anything. We’re opting out. On purpose.Follow @thealannagallo for more of our completely weird, totally intentional life.
Missing the 90s a little?Yeah, me too. This is w Missing the 90s a little?Yeah, me too. This is why we've made our household book-centric.It's all in the name of raising self-aware children who think critically 🙌
Follow on Instagram

Explore

  • Blog
  • About
  • Contact
  • Podcast

Copyright © 2026 · Play. Learn. Thrive. · Hearten Made

Scroll to top
  • Home
  • About
  • Screen Reset
  • Blog
    • Play
    • Learn
    • Thrive
  • Shop
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.