What We Do

The Children’s Storefront works with families to promote the development of children in the first thousand days of life to build a strong foundation for lifelong success.

Learn & Play Center

“It is so great to have this in our community … we always feel welcome … my child loves everything about it!”
– Learn & Play Center Parent

In 2019 The Children’s Storefront launched our first Learn & Play Center in Harlem for families with children up to age three. Full of carefully curated books, toys, musical instruments, art materials, climbing equipment and games, the Center was a free drop-in resource for over two hundred families from diverse backgrounds and walks of life. We employed a unique approach that balanced a child’s self-directed discovery of all the space had to offer, with facilitative coaching from early child development specialists for parents and caregivers to build strong foundations for their child’s learning.

Starting with the post-Covid re-launch of our physical program space, The Children’s Storefront aims to develop a network of Learn & Play centers that also offer a host of services to bolster parent/caregiver learning, including child development workshops, multi-faceted supportive services, and one-on-one learning opportunities drawing on the expertise of New York’s colleges, health care centers and child serving institutions.

Check out this video of our in-person Learn and Serve Center:

Virtual Learn & Play Program

“This program is a GIFT, and I wish it could be shared with every parent with a young child. Excellent staff and supportive community!”
– Virtual Learn & Play Program Parent

Since the Covid-19 pandemic we have offered virtual Learn & Play sessions, giving over one hundred parents and caregivers with their children a chance to participate safely and fully in a nurturing community via Zoom without leaving their homes.  Our virtual program, based on the same principles as the Learn & Play Center, provides interactive sessions open to families with babies and toddlers, up to age three. Learn & Play sessions of four to eight families are each facilitated by early childhood coaches who engage families with music, books and activities, and provide support to the parents/caregivers, especially important during a time of heightened isolation and anxiety.

Click here for a schedule of Virtual Learn & Play Sessions.

Check out these videos of our virtual Learn and Serve Program: