About Jill and Jillybeans
I'm so glad you're here! Welcome to the Jillybeans website. I'm Jill, and I’m a play and parenting coach, early childhood educator, play expert, and a mom. I empower overwhelmed parents & caretakers to connect & engage with their little ones through simple developmental play setups and make parenting feel more joyful and manageable.
For years, play and working with families have been my passion. I’ve seen how important play is for children. It’s how they learn best & make sense of the world around them. I believe it is our best tool to support their growth. I love setting up exploration and activities for children and watching them come alive in amazing and unique ways. I love helping families create an environment and culture that sees children as capable from their earliest days, that values creativity, playfulness, bonding, and connection.
When I had my daughter, everything I was passionate about from my teaching days took on a whole new importance in our lives. As a parent, I began to understand more than ever how difficult getting through the day can be. You need stretches of independent, child-led play to give you some time back for yourself and to fulfill your own needs. You need simple play ideas that are easy to set up and ideally work towards supporting all the exciting development happening in your child’s early years. You need to make the most of materials you have around you.
Parenting can be an incredibly hard and lonely journey. But it doesn’t need to feel that way. I recognize how much support & community matters. This is what Jillybeans is all about! I’ve created this space for parents and caretakers everywhere.
Xo,
Jill
For brand collaborations, please email me at jillybeansnyc@gmail.com.
Play Consultations
Parenting can be an incredibly hard, overwhelming, and lonely journey. But it doesn’t need to feel that way.
As a mom myself I get it, and I’m here for you.
If there's one thing I've learned in my 15 years of experience working with families, it's that every child is incredibly unique and that every phase is different. That means that the approach to engaging a child won't be “one size fits all.”
My consultations provide a customized plan specifically tailored to YOUR needs and your child’s interests and developmental goals so you can feel confident and excited about parenting, create simple, engaging, meaningful play experiences your child will WANT to explore, support your child’s development, and feel less burnt out and overwhelmed.
Independent Play
Do you want time back for yourself while your child is learning and playing independently? Entertaining a child all day long is not only unsustainable for the caretaker ,but it stunts the growth of your child’s ability to entertain, engage, and problem-solve themselves. There
are simple, but instrumental things you can do in terms of the setup of your space, what materials are available, the types of activities or invitations to play that you’re putting out and how you’re setting them up that will help build your child’s focus in play and lengthen the time they can engage on their own. Some tiny tweaks can make a huge impact!
Playspace Revamp
Did you know that the way toys are organized and displayed can affect the way your child plays and interacts with them? In this consultation, Jill will work with you to review your current toys and storage systems, make customized recommendations for toys, organization, and layout of your space to help your child to play and engage for longer periods of time.
Developmental/Behavioral
Do you have a child at home going through a “phase?” Perhaps trying to master a new physical skill like crawling or walking? Maybe they’re about to have a major life transition like moving to a new home or becoming a big sibling. Whatever it is your little one is working on or working through, play can support it.
Caregiver
Caring for a child is an incredible important job. This consultation is designed to support your nanny or caregiver with simple tips on creating a safe space for play, ideas for fun and easy activities at home and how to best facilitate them, establishing a routine, and more.
Curriculum Development/Consulting for Businesses and Brands
Do you teach classes or run programming for young children? Maybe you design and develop toys and products or own a playspace? Jill will work with you on things like best practices for introducing art and sensory materials and how to progress and build upon skills previously introduced, revamping existing class curriculums, fine-tuning a clear class progression as children age into new programs, making sure class structures, materials, equipment, and your space work best for you, and more!
Custom
Have another concern on your mind that you’re not seeing below? Maybe you’re just looking for ideas to get you through the day? Reach out to jillybeansnyc@gmail.com and see if a 1:1 consultation is right for you!
Virtual Classes
Parent/Child Classes
Jillybeans virtual classes highlight all the fun and excitement of interacting with your child and connecting with other families. Classes include sensory exploration, simple play setups, music and movement, all using household items and materials.
Parent Classes
Whatever it is your little one is working on or working through, play can support it. Learn to engage and play with purpose while supporting your child's development and growth.
To learn about upcoming group virtual classes, follow @jillybeansnyc on Instagram or join the Jillybeans mailing list.
Looking to set up a virtual class for a private group?
Contact &
Mailing List
Interested in learning more about Jillybeans?Please feel free to get in touch, and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible!