Hi, it’s Eva Lin and I have a special story to share with you. My daughters are five and eight and have been coming to Kidspace Children’s Museum for as long as they can remember. Founded in 1979 and now serving more than 400,000 families a year, it is one of Pasadena’s most beloved institutions. But what Kidspace does for the children in this community who need it most is something few people ever see. We had the opportunity to speak with Kidspace CEO Lisa Clements about just that.

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“Play is the language of children,” Lisa began. “Through play, you get to invent your own scenarios and invite people into a world that you’re imagining. It is the engine by which children build healthy brains and bodies, learn to form social connections, and discover their own competencies. When you give children the opportunity to follow their own curiosity, the learning is faster, more transferable, and ‘stickier.’

“We are in the business of creating joy, and believe that joy is the start of everything. It is how children feel brave enough to try new things, to engage with new people, and to challenge themselves. And when parents are here on campus with their kids, they are no longer the rule makers or the enforcers. They get to be playmates, and that opens up something really special between generations.

“We are in the business of creating joy.”

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“Just like the kids who come here, Kidspace is always growing. We change the whole campus every season and are constantly adding new programs and new ways to serve the families who come here. That could mean experiencing Butterfly Season, or joining our Sunset Music Series where you can sing and dance around a campfire. We have a sock skating rink during Winter Frolic, and you have not celebrated Halloween until you have done it the Kidspace way. No two days here are ever the same.

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“But here is what most people don’t know about Kidspace. Beyond the exhibits and activities, we have made a very deliberate commitment to the children in our community who face the greatest challenges. We call them our priority populations. And reaching them is some of the most important work we do.

“There are more than 30,000 children in Los Angeles County right now in foster care, many of whom have experienced severe neglect or abuse. Play is one of the ways those children heal and find connection. We host reunification events through the Department of Children and Family Services to help keep families intact. And every year, we throw a giant birthday party called Birthday Palooza for siblings who are separated in foster care. When children are in different placements, they don’t get pictures together. They don’t celebrate each other’s birthdays or holidays. So on one special day, it is everybody’s birthday.

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“We also serve children with chronic medical challenges who can feel very isolated when illness keeps them from the normal rhythms of childhood. Sometimes that means opening our campus exclusively for immunocompromised children on a private morning, so they can run through this place like they own it. And other times it means celebrating that every body is an athlete’s body. Our Wheelchair Basketball Bonanza with Angel City Sports and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles puts everybody in a chair and everybody plays.

“We have welcomed refugee families experiencing their first American Halloween and helped them discover how joyful the holiday is for children. And Dia de Los Muertos is one of my most treasured events all year, because it gives our children, our families, and our staff a gentle space to talk about loss, share stories about people they love, and keep those people alive in the telling.

“The world around children has changed, and research points to a real connection between the rise in mental health challenges in young people and the shift from a play-based childhood to a screen-based one. We don’t provide Wi-Fi on campus, on purpose. When children are here, they are fully here. Play is the way in which children have power. We want every kid to know that the richness of this community belongs to them, and here they can learn to be the architect of their own future.”

Kidspace welcomes children from infancy through age ten. As a Pasadena Realtor and mother of two, I’ve long believed that the strength of a community shows in how it cares for its children. More than 30% of Kidspace visitors come through free or reduced admission, and all programs for priority populations are free. Whether you visit with your family, volunteer your time, or support their work with a donation, you will be contributing to a wonderful mission. To learn more, visit kidspacemuseum.org.