Playwell is a gathering place for families. Our play spaces are designed to engage children's minds through hands-on exploration, inspiring their intrinsic curiosity and desire to learn. Parents are invited to pour a cup of coffee and socialize, sit back and relax, get creative in our art studio, or use our bar tables and wifi to get some work done.
Our multi-age play spaces are designed for infants and toddlers, preschoolers, and 6 to 12 year olds. Our play spaces feature the raw ingredients for learning: open-ended materials and tools that inspire learning in all domains, including reading, writing, math, natural science, social science, as well as physical, social, and emotional development.
Our Play Partners support your children’s natural desire to learn through play by presenting daily provocations in all domain areas. A playwell education serves the whole child, with the well being of the whole family in mind. Playwell offers daily circle time, ongoing arts classes for young children, support groups for new parents, monthly social mixers, private parties, and a tinkerspace for 6 to 12 year olds. At Playwell, families can have it all: time for play and learning, self care and community, work and creativity. It is our mission to get families one step closer to the work/life balance we all strive for. Our vision is to infuse the lives of children and parents with infinite opportunities to play, learn, and connect.
“Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning.
But for children, play is serious learning.”
— Fred Rogers
The Foundations of Playwell
Play is important. Play is how children make sense of the world. Children do their most meaningful learning through play. Play is self-directed, spontaneous, and unstructured. Children need access to open-ended materials, time, and the freedom to explore in order to reap the benefits of play.
Children are best raised in a village. Children and parents need each other—for support, for solidarity, for friendship. A sense of community is the most powerful antidote to isolation. Parenting can be isolating at times. When we come together to share our struggles and successes, we can become the best version of ourselves.
Parents are struggling to achieve life-work balance. We feel torn between our roles as parents, our roles as professionals and creatives, and our many other identities. Playwell is designed for both children and parents, bringing us a few steps closer to that life-work balance we all strive for. Why ever you decide to join us, we welcome you with open arms and a strong cup of coffee.
When you join the Playwell village, you’ll discover infinite opportunities to play, learn, and connect.
Meet the Founder | Martina Bottinelli
Before Playwell I ran a nature preschool inspired by the Reggio Emilia Approach, taught future teachers about the importance of play, founded a self-directed learning center, and dabbled in dress-making and quilting.
I love being in the company of children. I take the discovery of children’s interests seriously, and cherish the honest conversations, raw emotions, and earnest curiosity that children embody. My love of children led me to the field of early childhood education, but it was my respect for children that led me to the educational philosophies that have come to define how I approach the education of all children, and, ultimately, how I approach life. We can’t take good care of children if we don’t also take care of parents. Parents need balance. Parents need support. Parents need play.
We are a creative family. Lucian is a full-time sculptor, working on commissions and his own work in a small studio in New London, CT. Nico, our 3.5 year old, has intense passions and loves to learn all he can about whatever he is most interested in. First it was trains, then astronauts, outerspace, and rocketships. We feed his curiosity through books, art, play, and field trips. Leo joined us three days after Christmas, two weeks early, weighing just over 10 pounds! Thus far he has proven to be the smiliest baby we’ve ever met. We spend our family time cooking, gardening, putting the chickens back in the run, going on nature walks, and taking advantage of everything kid-friendly within a 30 minute drive of us.
Join the Team
We are hiring.
Are you a creative, confident, and compassionate person that enjoys being in the company of children? Do you see children as whole people with unique interests, needs, and desires? Do you believe in the importance of self-directed play and creativity? If you answered yes, you may be the right person for our team!
To apply for our Play Partner position please e-mail a cover letter and resume to martina@playwellct.com. Positions begin Spring & Summer 2022