The power of play

By Zenaida Serrano
Advertiser Staff Writer

Barely able to balance, 22-month-old Tylyr Yamauchi carefully stacked vinyl-covered blocks, one on top of the other. The toddler managed to stack four of the large cubes — green, green, blue, then purple — into a tower as high as himself.

K.L. Ho interacts with daughter Millburn, 2, at the WeePlay & Learn center in Hawai'i Kai. WeePlay & Learn is among several businesses on O'ahu that promote the benefits — and fun — of interactive play between parents and children. Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser

Tylyr was building much more than a stack of blocks.

"This helps build creativity and imagination," said Yamauchi, 31, a stay-at-home mom.

The Yamauchis of Hawai'i Kai recently were among eight families at WeePlay & Learn, which is among a few O'ahu businesses that emphasize the importance of learning through interactive play and offer parents and their children a clean, safe environment for such activities.

"Children from infancy to (age) 3 learn more effectively in close interaction with an adult," said Jackie Dudock, Honolulu County early childhood coordinator at Good Beginnings Alliance.

"Frequent exposure to another child or two outside of the family is fun, and as children mature, it becomes easier to navigate play with more than two friends at a time."

Brian and Mary Melzack, the CEO and president, respectively, of Bestsellers Books & Music, developed WeePlay & Learn with two tiny inspirations: their 3-year-old son, David, and 2-year-old daughter, Arianna.

"I really wanted to make it a down-to-earth, mom-and-dad-and-child environment, at the level where the parent gets on the floor and interacts with that child ... and we want parents to take home these experiences," said Mary Melzack.

Tylyr Yamauchi, 22 months old, blows bubbles with mom at WeePlay & Learn in Hawai'i Kai. Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser

"Our classes have been developed to provide a range of age-appropriate challenges and skill-building exercises, allowing each child to participate and learn at his or her own pace," said Diana Sakurai, director of Hawai'i Gymboree.

Loretta Yajima, president and CEO of the Children's Discovery Center in Kaka'ako, also believes in the power of interactive play.

With hands-on exhibits, the Children's Discovery Center enables youngsters to learn through direct manipulation of objects, experimentation, trial-and-error experiences and exploration.

"(We) provide them with a very rich, stimulating, educational environment where they have the opportunity to make discoveries about themselves and the world," Yajima said.

Like WeePlay and Gymboree, the discovery center isn't just a place for children.

Parents and staff at WeePlay & Learn use a parachute to provide an unusual surface for the children to play on. Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser

The manner in which an adult approaches and interacts with a child — with respect for the child's interest and capabilities — sets the stage for a good play experience, Dudock said.

Meanwhile, at WeePlay & Learn, the Yamauchi children — Tylyr and his 4-year-old sister, Kylie — recently played alongside tykes like Millburn Ho, 2, of Hawai'i Kai. As the children chased bubbles around the

play area, Millburn's parents, K.L. and Adeline Ho, both self-employed, looked on, smiling.

Since enrolling in the WeePlay Interactive PlayGroup about eight sessions ago, Millburn has become more of a social butterfly, her mother said.

"I also noticed that she is familiar with routine, so she knows what to anticipate ... and she's learned so many new words," said Adeline Ho, 40. "This is a great place."

Reach Zenaida Serrano at zserrano@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-8174.