Our Work
Playmakers work to ensure life is good for all kids. Positive relationships with adult caregivers are the most critical component to successful early childhood trauma treatment.
Light is most brilliant when contrasted with darkness.
What is a Playmaker?
Optimism Over Adversity
Optimism is powerful. When human beings grow their capacity to see and focus on the goodness in themselves, others, and the world, their social, emotional, and cognitive superpowers emerge.
In the life changing relationship business, optimism is a required, pragmatic, and evidence-based approach to overcoming adversity. The Life is Good Playmakers take an optimism-infused approach to trauma-informed care.
How We Work
The Life is Good Playmakers support childcare professionals and organizations to create life-changing relationships and optimal environments where our most vulnerable kids can heal, learn, and grow.
Our Approach
Learn how we are revolutionizing the focus of professional development for childcare professionals and elevating the social-emotional wellness of both kids and staff.
Our Solutions
After 30+ years of field experience, we've developed a 4-step framework for building optimal learning and healing environments.
Our Partners
Through partnerships with leading childcare organizations across the U.S. and Haiti, we help create safe, loving, joyful, and engaging environments where everyone - especially kids - can thrive.
Our Progress
The Life is Good Playmakers have provided workshops, tools, and ongoing coaching to childcare professionals. Together, we work to transform their care settings into optimal environments for kids to learn, heal and thrive.
16,000+
Playmakers working in schools, hospitals, and social service agencies across the U.S. and Haiti.
1,000,000+
kids each year who overcome trauma associated with poverty, violence, and illness thanks to Playmakers.
96%
of childcare professionals report the Playmaker program has a positive impact on the social, emotional, physical well-being of kids they care for.
Playmaker Spotlight
Kim Whitmore
What I’ve learned is that once you know trauma, it’s even more essential to know (in the same kind of lasting forever way) compassion, humor, authenticity, fun, gratitude and above all else, love.
Riley Hammond
My work is to connect through play; to help kids and their families who come to the hospital—to receive treatment, undergo surgery, or understand a diagnosis—to feel safe and joyful, even amidst great stress. Part of that work is to displace the power of unfamiliar places and procedures, and return it back to our patients and those who love them.
Gina Fleurvil
There are a lot of assumptions made around the world about what kids in Haiti need. As someone who works closely with these kids every day, I can tell you that our kids need what all kids need: nutritious food, clean water, a warm, safe place to sleep, learn, and grow, time to play, and people who love them to play with.
Lakia Small
I figured out that a big reason why the kids were connecting with me was because of how I was making them feel. Engaging them in a way that brought joy and laughter. I wanted to make my Headstart classroom a place filled with love, fun, and compassion – a place where kids could actually play.
Become a Playmaker
Join the thousands of Playmakers worldwide who are harnessing the power of optimism to help kids heal. Sign up for one of our public workshops below!