Kelly’s mission is deeply personal. Growing up navigating the challenges of dyslexia within traditional education systems, she was often labeled the "problem child." It was a label that could have defined her, confined her. But in her home, a different story was being written… one where play-based learning became the key that unlocked a world of understanding and unique capability. Her perceived "disruptions" were recognized as creative breakthroughs, her "struggles" as the forging of unique problem-solving pathways.

This personal transformation became a shared vision. Witnessing the profound impact of this approach, her father, Brent Hutcheson, a foundational innovator at Care for Education, developed Six Bricks. What began as an intuitive response to one child’s needs blossomed, with the support of entities like the LEGO Foundation, into a global movement. Kelly was at the heart of this, translating personal experience into actionable, international training, playing a pivotal role in bringing Six Bricks to educators and children in diverse countries like Ireland, China, Germany, Egypt, the US, and Ukraine.

Kelly Hutcheson’s work with Six Bricks and Care for Education laid the groundwork for a broader, more urgent calling: to challenge the very foundations of systems that, in her words, often contribute to The Death of Genius. She argues that our current educational and parenting paradigms, obsessed with conformity and control, are systematically stifling the innate brilliance within every child. 

​She believes children don’t need more instruction, just more freedom. Less top-down control, more intrinsic curiosity. Less relentless scheduling, more space for the kind of productive struggle that builds true confidence. For Kelly Hutcheson, The Secret to Smarter Kids isn't found in accelerated academics or a pile of educational toys, but in nurturing their natural ability to learn through play, to question fearlessly, and to trust their own minds.

Her philosophy is a direct challenge:

"You say you want independence but you interrupt every attempt at it. You say you value empathy but model emotional reactivity and call it “protection.”... We are raising children to be obedient machines in a system that is emotionally bankrupt and then we wonder why they don’t know how to care. Empathy is dying. Because our children have never seen it lived."

This is about questioning the deep-seated fears and societal pressures that lead to over-parenting and restrictive educational environments.

Kelly Hutcheson’s commitment to this vision is backed by extensive, hands-on international experience. Her journey has taken her from facilitating Six Bricks training globally with Care for Education to:

• Greengates International School, Mexico
• Nova Pioneer, South Africa
• Sandton Junior Colleges, South Africa
• International School of Billund (ISB), Denmark

​This diverse exposure, coupled with degrees in Early Childhood Development and Learning Support from the University of Pretoria, and research on international reading programs at Harvard University (focusing on the Tools of the Mind Curriculum), has given her a unique understanding of how children learn best across various cultural and systemic contexts. Her expertise also extends to Special Needs education, ensuring her approach is inclusive and adaptable. She has also served as a World LEGO Robotics Competition Judge, underscoring her connection to playful innovation.

The fire ignited during her time with Care for Education and the global Six Bricks movement now burns brighter with The Play Alchemist. Through this platform, Kelly offers parents and educators a new paradigm, tools, and the fierce conviction needed to transform homes and classrooms into laboratories of creativity, critical thinking, and authentic self-discovery.

This philosophy, this urgent call to action, has culminated in her provocative book, Free the Child. It’s a direct, often uncomfortable, but ultimately liberating guide for parents ready to dismantle fear-based habits, step back from over-intervention, and cultivate true resilience and independence in their children. Free the Child is a manifesto for a new generation of parenting.​

Kelly Hutcheson is a catalyst for change, deeply connected to the Care for Education family and the legacy of Six Bricks, now taking those foundational principles to challenge and inspire a global audience. Her message is clear: if you're ready to question everything, to embrace discomfort for the sake of profound growth, and to truly free your child, Kelly Hutcheson is leading the charge.