This is how it all started..

Thank you for your support, love and kind words over the years! You have helped make our dreams come true. We are so honored to be a safe and fun place for families to make memories together

meet The amazing ms. gina and her family
Meet Gina and Jason

These are the parents behind the Playseum! Be sure and say "hello" if you see them! Once just a simple business idea scribbled onto a napkin, has changed the lives of Jason, Gina, and their four children. The Playseum has brought so much love, joy and happiness to their family and so many others around the world.

Meet Nisha

When  the  Playseum  opened  in  2009,  I  was  13  years  old.  I  can  say  that  the  Playseum  has  changed  and  grown  a  lot  over  the  years.  As  kids,  my  mom  taught  us  that  the  world  was  much  bigger  than  myself,  and  that  no  one  is  too  young  to  make  a  difference.  When  I  was  nine,  my  sisters  and  I  began  selling  cookies  and  photography  to  help  rescue  children  in  India,  the  country  where  my  father’s  ancestors  are  from.  I  have  since  visited  the  organization  and  kids  we  support  in  India  twice,  with  a  third  trip  anticipated  soon.  I  worked  very  hard  over  the  last  five  years  to  learn  both  Spanish  and  Chinese.  Currently,  I  have my  Bachelors  in  both  Public  Relations  &  Chinese.


Meet Ianna

Despite  having  just  turned  10  years  old  when  the  Playseum  opened,  I  was  already  fully  invested  in  making  it  a  success.  I  loved  making  things  for  a  greater  good!  Baking,  decorating,  and  crafting-  I  enjoyed  being  creative  in  a  hands-on  way,  often  times  to  sell  or  give  away  to  help  those  in  need.    My  heart  is  for  the  children  and  families  we  help  around  the  world  as  well  as  in  our  own  community.  I  do  that  by  being  my  mom’s  right-hand  woman  with  the  aim  of  expansion.  To  me,  growth  of  the  Playseum,  means  the  ability  to  rescue  more  children,  build  more  wells,  and  provide  a  place  for  good  memories  to  be  created  between  children  and  parents.  What  more  in  life  could  you  ask  for?


Meet Ashlen

  
When  the  Playseum  opened,  not  so  long  ago,  I  was  seven  years  old.    At  that  time  my  passion  was  pets!  Although  I  still  love  animals-  and  adore  my  two  cats  at  home  -  I  am  also  drawn  to  reading  and  art.  Since  inspired  to  read  by  my  mother  and  sister,  I  can’t  stop.  Books  make  way  for  the  imagination  and  teach  big  lessons  in  ways  children  can  understand.  I  have  even  written  and  illustrated  a  few  children’s  books  of  my  own,  currently  awaiting  publishing.  I  am  happy  to  say  we  sell  many  adorable,  heartfelt,  silly,  and  creative  books  at  the  Playseum,  most  with  stuffed  animal  companions  and  approved  by  me!



Meet Andrew

  
For  me  the  Playseum  opened  a  lifetime  ago  when  I  was  only  four.  As  the  only  son,  I  have  helped  my  mom  understand  that  boys  need  their  place  too!  I  love  to  play  basketball,  my  saxophone,  and  board  games  with  my  sisters.  I  have  learned  through  my  mom  that  customer  service  is  the  most  important  thing  when  running  a  business,  and  in  order  for  the  community  to  endorse  you,  you  must  always  be  honest,  respectful,  and  kind.  There  is  not  a  day  that  my  mom  does  not  come  home  without  a  story  about  how  she  enjoyed  serving  her  customers,  and  I’m  happy  to  be  a  part  of  what  my  family  does.




How the Playseum Started


It was in 2007 after my fourth child had just turned nine months old when I came to the decision to stop working and be home full time. This was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I can’t say it has been easy though. Without family nearby to help us mixed with the crazy fast paced DC life; my husband and I knew that we needed to stop and reevaluate our lives before we dangerously crashed. We dropped much from our schedules and said “no” to things that we had commonly said “yes” to without thought. We needed a change as a family. We came to the conclusion and agreement together that we had been given but a few years to raise-up, train, discipline and educate our children.

Even within those years we would have only a few precious quality God given moments to instill the heart of God and the joys of life into our children.Time goes fast. As parents we know this! By tomorrow all those things we run after today will be gone. We all want the best for our children, so they can experience the most, thrive in the world and take hold of all that the world has to offer.

Once I became a full time stay-at-home mom I realized there were few places where I, as a mom, could go in the DC area with my child and leave feeling good about my parenting. The other alternative was to sign them up for endless classes without me. As I began to journal my thoughts one day I found myself saying “Mom, all I ever wanted from you was for you just to “be with me” when I was young.

Two weeks after my mom passed away I sat on the couch, unable to sleep, with a pen a paper in hand sensing something new was about to be born. My pen was moving slower than my mind as I tried to keep up with my thoughts drawing sketches, taking notes and ultimately laying out plans for a place where children and parents can just BE themselves.

I began to dream of a warm welcoming place where parents, nannies, and children could come, create and relate with one another and experience the love that family, play, and books offer. I envisioned a place that had no gimmicks, nor exclusive, demanding, memberships, a place that was cheap enough that those who have more than two children could easily afford. This place would not only come along side and support families here but by doing so we would send finances far away to pull orphan children off the streets and help find them families of their own – Come in and play and help a child far away.

This dream began on a piece of paper. Each day it continued to grow on countless napkins as my kids and I would sit around in Starbucks, McDonalds, and Panera and dream together. Their input and drawings of what they envisioned, along with multiple trips to Children’s Museums up and down the East Coast, prayer, and a lot of patience helped birth a new kind of place for children and parents alike. Together as a family we present to you the Be with Me Playseum - Where kids create and parents relate.

As a mother of four, having worked out of the home, in the home, and at times stayed at home- I can relate. I have been working directly with children and art since 1998 by directing summer camps, after-school care, community events, childcare programs for churches, and kid-centered global outreaches.

In 2009, the dream became a reality. The Be with Me Playseum was birthed! No one in the 70’s would have ever predicted that more children would be visiting Psychologists than their grandparents, or that the divorce rate would raise so drastically, or that the most recommended need of today’s child is “unstructured playtime with parents”.

From one loving parent to another, I invite you to come to the Playseum and enjoy spending time with your child as they create, play, and read, taking every opportunity to engage them and build lasting memories together.

What We Believe

  Ms. Gina's Values...

LIFE- We believe all children are gifts from God. Every life, big or small, is of great worth and therefore every child and parent is valuable to us.

FAMILY- Family is the most vital part of our community. We treasure the opportunity to offer people a place to create family moments and memories. Family is the desired way in which God allows us to first experience love, so we endeavor to promote family values and family time for all.

GOD- God is the giver of life and we hope to honor Him in all our affairs. He is the source and inspiration for the Playseum's creativity and passion.



Mission & Vision

MISSION- Come in and play and help a child far away!

VISION- Kids create and parents relate