Wemagination combines the most up-to-date brain science with a meaningful, hands-on, customizable curriculum that meets you right where you are.

Wemagination Position Statement

WHAT WE ARE UP TO, AND WHY IT MATTERS

You know us—The WE—that quirky space where adults get to play with bottle caps and keys and call it professional development.
But here's the thing: we've been doing this since 1997, and the world has changed a lot. We're changing too. Let me tell you what's happening.

HERE’S OUR SCOOP

Reflecting on Play Can Give You Guidance About What You Are Struggling With

We can't fix "out there" if we're a mess "in here." The issues we're trying to solve? They're sitting right in the room with us—in our stress, our fears, our brilliance, our exhaustion.

So we create space to be real with each other - honest conversations about what's actually happening in our lives. This isn't fluffy—it's the opposite of a recipe. It's an anti-recipe that keeps challenging us to show up differently.

Adults, Just Like Kids, Need Creativity and Exploration to Thrive.

When you play with open-ended materials, you're not just learning teaching techniques—you're becoming more powerful, more creative, more capable of building a meaningful life. As Froebel said way back in 1904 (before Netflix, before iPhones, before anyone had even heard of a pandemic): "Play is the self-active representation of the inner life." Fancy words for: play shows what's really going on inside you.

Play Actually Heals You

This one's become huge for us. Play doesn't just teach—it heals. When you're playing, your body automatically does these amazing things:

• Uses both hands (integrating both brain hemispheres—science!)
• Moves your head and eyes (activating your balance and sensory systems)
• Creates cross-body patterns (building your distress tolerance without even trying)

You don't have to think about it. You don't have to "work" at it. You just play, and your nervous system starts to chill out. It's like therapy, but with pom-poms and pipe cleaners.

THE SCIENCE IS ON OUR SIDE

You've heard us talk about play forever. But now? The neuroscience is catching up with what we've known all along. Turns out, when you're playing with loose parts, your brain is doing some seriously cool stuff:

• Dopamine floods in—that's your brain's reward system saying "Yes! More of this!"
• Neural pathways literally rewire—play changes your brain structure (in a good way)
• Your prefrontal cortex gets a workout—that's the part that helps you not lose it when a toddler throws spaghetti at the wall for the third time today
• Stress systems get regulated—your brain practices handling chaos in a safe way

Basically, play is like CrossFit for your brain, except way more fun and you don't have to wear athletic gear.

We use materials headed for landfills—our beloved Loose Parts—so you can build problem-solving skills, persistence, and collaboration. Plus, you're saving the planet one bottle cap at a time. Win-win.

HERE'S WHAT'S SHIFTING

The pandemic broke a lot of things. And honestly? We're all still picking up the pieces.

Early childhood educators are telling us: "I can't relax. I can't manage behaviors. I can't connect with families. I'm barely hanging on." And they're expected to just... keep going. Like nothing happened. With low wages, high stress, and basically zero mental health support.

So, we're shifting our lens. We're getting more intentional about two things:

Efforts To Expand Our Constituency (a.k.a. Who Gets to Play)

We used to focus mostly on early childhood educators. Now? We're opening wider:

• Families who are barely holding it together
• Administrators who are trying to keep programs afloat
• Higher ed students and professors training the next generation
• Community partners who touch kids' lives in all sorts of ways. Basically, if you care about young children, you need play.

And we want you here.

A Commitment to Positive Relevancy (a.k.a. Staying Relevant When Everything's On Fire)

Our vision says it clearly:

• We're committed to being current and cogent in relation to the social-emotional climate in our state and country.
• That's not fancy language. It means: We see you. We see the trauma. We see the burnout. We see the mental health crisis. And we're not pretending it's fine.
• We're meeting you where you are—stressed, exhausted, maybe a little broken—and saying: Play can help. Not fix everything, but help. It's a real intervention with real healing power.

BOTTOM LINE

We've been doing this for almost 30 years. We're not changing who we are—we're evolving to meet the moment we're in. Play heals. Play teaches. Play connects us to ourselves and each other. And right now? We all need that more than ever. So come play with us. Bring your stress, your questions, your exhaustion. Bring your families, your colleagues, your whole messy, beautiful self. We've got the bottle caps ready!