Kristen Beckler: How play is essential
When Kristen Beckler was in the fifth grade, her entire class got to yell “Good Morning, America!” on national television. Even though it is not to the entire country, Kristen continues on with some version of this affable greeting most every work day at Benioff Children’s Hospital, San Francisco. As the Programming Specialist, Kristen makes morning magic happen via the internal television channel we call “Kaleidoscope TV, the Child Life Channel”. Kristen brings her passions and skills as both a child life specialist and a recreation therapist to the role of offering developmentally supportive play sessions for younger children. To know and work with Kristen is to experience her ready kindness and humor whether in person or through a television channel. Her laugh is infectious and she knows how to play with and maybe even for children.
We know that play is like nature, even if you cannot access it yourself it helps to see and experience it in some way. Both play and nature in all their forms call to our human need for connection to something bigger than ourselves and they help us with our shadowy thoughts and feelings. Kristen recently honored the creator of some of our favorite children’s books, Eric Carle (https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/26/books/eric-carle-dead.html ) on the morning “Junior” show by reading “The Very Hungry Caterpillar”. “When a fictional caterpillar chomps through one apple, two pears, three plums, four strawberries, five oranges, one piece of chocolate cake, one ice cream cone, one pickle, one slice of Swiss cheese, one slice of salami, one lollipop, one piece of cherry pie, one sausage, one cupcake and one slice of watermelon, it might get a stomach ache.” And even if for that moment, children in the hospital are launched to a realm of imagination inspired by the great author’s words and imagery and Kristen’s reading of the book infused with laughter and connection.
Kristen tells the tale, told to her by her mother, Annelle, of how inspiration for this professional focus on play was found in high school. Through the Anchor Club, teenaged Kristen did some facepainting with children with disabilities and could not stop talking about all the enjoyable things she could imagine doing with these same children. Her dedication was set for a career of making a difference for children going through many different kinds of experiences. Kristen has worked in many and varied settings in hospitals (e.g. cardiac, oncology, emergency department, playrooms) and in schools and centers within the community. Play and laughter are infused in her current role on Kaleidoscope TV and it demonstrates her excellence in recreation.
Even while interviewing her for this write up, Kristen offered delightful details about her children, family, interests and that she makes great chicken and dumplings…all delivered with the unique charms of growing up along the Clinch river.