Play Me Out Indoor Playground & Child Care Center

ABOUT PLAY ME OUT 

We’re proud to give families the freedom to live more balanced lives without compromising on quality, fun and expert supervision for their children. We accomplish this by empowering parents to set their own pace for living while providing children with the tools to play, grow, and be social in an active recreational environment. Most importantly, we serve families of all economic levels by offering an affordable and accessible alternative to traditional childcare.

COVID-19 STATEMENT: A WORD FROM OUR FOUNDER

On behalf of the Play Me Out team, our thoughts and prayers are with those affected by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic around the world. As the mother of three children, a wife, and an entrepreneur now working from home, this pandemic has caused quite an imbalance in my life -- and I know that this is the case for millions of families around the world too. 

While this pandemic has created a new reality for all of us, it also forces us to reflect on how easy it is for us to lose track of our own wellness while trying to cater to the needs of everything -- and everyone -- around us. 

COVID-19 has caused us to question how we can simultaneously be spouses, parents, school teachers, and business people while still making time to do the things that make us who we are beyond those titles. But this is a question that comes up often in our day to day lives that we should address more often -- not just when we are forced to do so. That is why the  mission of Play Me Out, which is to bring families better balance by giving parents more free time while their children enjoy more structured playtime, is more important now than ever. 

In light of the worldwide pandemic, we are pushing the 2020 opening date of our indoor playground back until further notice. However, we are still accepting contributions to our crowdfunding campaign at this time. You can also help us spread the word about this campaign by sharing it on social media. We appreciate any contributions you can offer to help us support families in Los Angeles County when our doors officially open and we are all able to return to our normal way of living.

We thank you for your support!

Sincerely, 
Porchia Henderson
Founder & CEO, Play Me Out, LLC 

THE PROBLEM

According to a 2013 American Sociological Review study, women have less time than men for sleep, particularly employed mothers of young children who prioritize family needs over personal free time.

The most invaluable asset that parents need more of is time. Between balancing a career, parenthood, and a personal life, studies have consistently shown that parents do not have enough time to prioritize their personal wellness, which is detrimental to the entire family.

Studies show that children are also not getting enough personal wellness in the form of play. According to the Official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Play is essential to development because it contributes to the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being of children and youth. Yet the average child does not get their daily recommended dose of at least 60 minutes of play per day.

THE MISSION 

As a highly educated African American mother of 3 children who has worked in the childcare and healthcare industry for nearly 15 years, I have experienced firsthand how difficult it is to balance the demanding roles as a wife, mother, and career woman. This is especially challenging for low income families, who can’t afford full time childcare memberships and have limited resources to help them achieve better balance in their lives.

Play Me Out is the solution that I always wished I had. It creates an environment that encourages children’s social development by creating a haven for interaction, socialization, and connectivity. It also creates more life balance for parents by giving them more time in their day to live fuller lives -- whether that means running errands or enjoying more personal time for self-care. Most importantly, it’s a unique alternative to traditional childcare that prioritizes the individual needs of parents and their children equally.

THE SOLUTION

Play Me Out puts the power back into the hands of parents by simply giving them time and more options. It is more than a daycare and more than an indoor playground. Rather, it's playcare: a hybrid of both business models that allows (potty trained) children aged 2-12 to learn, be active, and socialize in short segments of time. Our short term supervision doesn’t confine parents to expensive monthly memberships or constrictive pick up and drop off times. With this innovative and affordable approach to child care, parents gain just enough extra time in their days to focus on self-care of simply running errands while their children simply have fun. Both parents and children are provided with the unique service they need to achieve a better overall quality of life.

P.M.O. understands that life keeps happening -- even after 5:00 PM and on the weekends too-- when most childcare centers are closed. That’s why we don’t believe in restrictive program hours or enrollment requirements that don’t fulfill the unique needs of each family. Instead, we believe in offering an express service that grants parents the flexibility to get more out of their days while providing them the peace of mind that their children are in great hands.

WHY DO WE NEED FUNDING?

"Women receive just 7% of venture funds for their startups." - Fundera 

It is statistically proven that women of color have less access to funding capital. This is especially true due to the deeply rooted racial biases that exist in the loan and banking system, which is infamously known for denying loans to black business owners. As a black entrepreneur, my mission is to break through this barrier by funding the launch of a service that serves my local community through innovative fundraising strategies, including crowdfunding.

I recognize that Play Me Out is an innovative service and business model that can positively impact the quality of life for parents in L.A. County by addressing disparities in wellness and affordable childcare. I would like to allow my community to be a part of bringing this service to the market by helping raise the capital required to offset the start up costs of opening a brick and mortar business. Play Me Out will be a company rooted in community, so there’s no better way for us to be funded than by the community we intend to serve.

While we are still actively exploring traditional routes to secure funding, we would like to expedite the process of opening our first flagship location by crowdfunding to cover the cost of:

• Our first 3 months of rent for our retail space in L.A. County, CA

• Professional signage and construction on our retail space

• State of the Art Equipment including soft play centers, an indoor playground, interactive toys, and sensory play equipment

• Operating equipment including a computer, telephone, and CRM software

OUR GRAND OPENING

Reference for our ideal indoor space (Source: Indoor Playgrounds International)

Our first indoor playground will open in L.A. County, CA and will be our flagship location. Our express freetime service will offer playcare visits ranging from 2-4 consecutive hours daily for potty trained children aged 2-12. We will be open Sunday-Thursday from 9am to 9pm and Friday-Saturday from 9am to 11pm.  Parents will have the option to make appointments in advance and walk-ins will be accepted on select days of week.

Our first space will include:

• Indoor playground

• Soft Play Area

• Areas for group play sessions, sensory play experiences, and interactive play

• A mini library with books

• Unique programs and events in collaboration with local organizations that promote the importance of active lifestyles for children

If you are an angel investor or venture capitalist who is interested in becoming a strategic partner, please contact us at [email protected]. If you would like to support this campaign but cannot make a monetary contribution, you can help us spread the word by sharing it on social media.

Thank you so much in advance for contributing and sharing this campaign. Your support will help us to redefine child care for modern families in L.A. County.

With Gratitude,

Porchia Henderson
Founder & CEO, Play Me Out, LLC