Kids Life Studio® Global
Grounded in Neuroscience. Powered by Play.
“Supporting any child, anywhere, with any challenge through a global network of expert coaches and mentors.”
Hi I am Zelna, founder of Kids Life Studio® Global and I’ve spent the past two decades committed to supporting children to thrive and empowering the adults who guide them. My journey began in South Africa, working hands-on with children from 2003, and has taken me around the world, learning, researching, and refining ways to help every child grow resilient, confident, and self-led.
In 2020, during the pandemic, I enrolled in my MSc in Clinical Child Psychology in Cambridge, and in 2022 I served as a DPhil Psychiatry reader at Oxford University with a focus on intergenerational play to break the cycles of trauma. These studies deepened my experience that started as an early career special needs teacher & school counsellor. I realised that my deep understanding of child development and on the ground experience validated the frameworks I had been using in practice for years. My lived experience and commitment to lifelong learning have confirmed something I’ve always believed: every child has the potential to thrive and contribute meaningfully when the adults around them are knowledgeable, intentional, and inspired.
My heart beat is offering unique playdates, playshops, immersive coaching retreats and online training and certifications. My work is about giving children, parents, educators, medical professionals, mentors and coaches the practical, neuroscience-informed tools they need to build resilience, curiosity, and leadership. Over the years, I’ve built a global network of certified Kids Life Studio® Coaches who share this mission, creating spaces, online and in-person, where children flourish and families lead with heart.
This work isn’t about trends or titles it’s about building a generation of children and adults who lead, play, and grow together.