Weeplay & Learn

Dear Mary,
I’ve been meaning to email you and thank you for all that you have done for so many families over the last 12 years. It’s such an amazing thing and a very big deal. I can tell you that we are so pleased and thankful for all that you did for our daughter. WeePlay will always be a part of her. She still sings Aloha Mommy and Aloha Daddy everyday. We will miss you and WeePlay dearly.
A big thank you from our family and from all our friends that were a part of WeePlay over the years.

As the Honolulu Star Advertiser had recently reported on 8÷29÷15, Weeplay & Learn has permanently closed it’s doors at Ward Warehouse. I have no knowledge of the dispute and/​or the reason (s) why they shutdown. I am simply here to share my unbiased experience I’ve had there over the past 2.5 years. My son recently completed the Weeplay preschool program which I thought was an excellent precursor to Kindergarten. Not only did my son learn all his alphabets and can count to 100 but more importantly he developed the social skills needed to adapt to his new elementary school. The classrooms were fairly small ranging from 10 – 16 kids. Although all the teachers there were great, Ms. Ashley and Mrs. Jenn stood out as really awesome teachers who were genuinely interested in the kids. Daily preschool classes were meant to be fun and interesting while teaching basic motor/​social skills. The concept of learning through play worked well. My son loved going there and to this day asks to go back. As another Unilocaler had mentioned, «Weeplay is clean» is a bit of an understatement. I mean I’ve visited a handful of other preschools and this is by far the cleanest of them all. No shoes/​slippers were allowed inside the play/​classroom areas and adults are required to wear socks inside. School events such as Easter, Halloween and Christmas parties were always something the kids looked forward to as well as the parents. As far as the owner, Mary, she has always been fair, polite and never gave us any problems. FYI, I never knew Mary prior to Weeplay, I’m not some hot shot millionaire, nor am I heavily connected in some executive network. She had no reason to impress us and therefore we were never given any special treatment, good or bad. We’re just a regular middle class local family that sought a good, clean, straight English non-​pigeon speaking school and we found it at Weeplay. I am thankful for the experience my son had at Weeplay along with the many friends he has made. It took me a long time to finally write a review for this place and although it’s too late for any newcomers, I thought credit should be given where credit is deserved. A hui hou…

We’ve been members of WeePlay on and off for about 9 years or so. WeePlay is a wonderful place for parents to PLAY and learn with your child. I’ve read several negative reviews, personally I’ve never had a problem.
What I Love–
–The environment is completely kid/​baby friendly and CLEAN!
–Did I mention how Clean the place is?
— Colors everywhere, wonderful large play structure.
— Mary the owner remembers the kid’s names and I’ve seen her ask parents to put away their phones while in the play area-​I love that-​she encourages parents to be active and not just spectators.
–how flexible the class times are
What i don’t love
–the songs are catchy and you’ll be singing them in your head after class!
–no designated snack area, kids eat snack in lobby, no biggie, but I miss having a table to sit at.

I was really looking for somewhere to take my granddaughter on the weekends so she is not just stuck in the house and I will admit, I have never been here, never heard of this place but after reading all of the comments including the Owners replies to the negative comments, this is no where that I want my only grandchild to attend. Her replies are the utmost unprofessional, immature, self-​indulgent responses that I have ever read. I do a trust a lot of reviews and will sometimes go and check it out for myself if the reviews are so so but not is this case. To those who have honestly reviewed this company, THANK YOU! You have saved me from wasting my time and money.

Mary Kaligarou-​Melzack, the owner, will threaten to sue you if you post any negative reviews about this company. She has recently included this in her contract, «I/​We also agree NOT to disparage the reputation, besmirch, slander, discredit, defame and/​or libel WeePlay & Learn Ltd programs, personnel and operations either personally or through social media with reckless disregard campaigns of illegal defamation». I originally posted a negative review on 05÷17÷15, but later that week she gave me a copy of a blank contract claiming I signed it. She refuses to give me a copy of my signed contract and states that I can only see it if she takes legal action against me.
This contract pretty much states that she can mistreat her customers and provide poor service, but in return they cannot say anything. I can repost my long and true negative review about her company of how Mary excludes my son out of activities in class, how this place is dirty, the turnover rate of employees are high, and she does not stick to her class schedule, but I really do not have to because she says it all when she verbally admitted that half of the posted negative reviews are true after she threatened to sue me.
Read all of the reviews, including the ones that are not currently recommended.

This is going to be a long review, but I really felt the need to address a number of the negative reviews that have been posted about Wee Play and it’s owner. We have been taking my son to Wee Play for about 2 months now. He is 8 months old and LOVES attending the infant class. My husband and I like the program as does my father who attends with our son during the week. I notice a number of reviewers reference their degrees in education, so I will note that I hold a Masters degree in teaching with a focus on ages 0 – 5 and a doctorate in Educational Leadership, both from top graduate schools. In addition, I have 10 years of classroom teaching experience, administrative experience and two years of experience as a researcher in the field.
That being said, many of the negative reviews are full of errors. First of all, WeePlay is a family/​child interactive learning setting (FCIL). As such it is EXEMPT from licensure and accrediting bodies such as NAEYC do not address these types of programs. Mary does not claim to operate a preschool in the conventional sense. She is very upfront and clear that WeePlay is a parent/​child activity not a regular preschool.
Second, the volume of the music and the presence of a TV were mentioned. I was concerned about the tv when it was first mentioned by Mary, however learned that the video screen is not for the keiki. The screen is used to project the song lyrics so that parents can follow along with the songs. There are no animations and the little ones don’t even notice it! The music is set at an acceptable level (I did my masters thesis on the effects of loud noise on learning and development so I speak from experience). The transitions are quick, but not inappropriately so. The infant class is short and the transitions are pretty smooth… extending them would only lead to fussy babies!
Third, to everyone who takes issue with the staff qualifications and pay and benefits offered to staff… Unfortunately, that is pretty much par for the course in early education. I would say from the figures people mentioned in reference to teachers pay are around the average for the field given their credentials and the type of position. As WeePlay is not a conventional preschool but a FCIL I would guess the credentials are similar to other FCIL settings as well. As a former classroom teacher I support better wages and higher credentialing standards, but I also know that the field overall is a long way from the ideal; this is a systemic issue and not one that the owner of WeePlay should be penalized for.
Finally, to those who attacked the owner personally… Mary has been nothing but welcoming to my family and the other families in our class. She is always cheerful and I have not witnessed the type of behavior mentioned in other reviews. She runs a great program and offers a safe and clean facility that I am happy to take my son to.
Overall, we enjoy WeePlay as a fun activity for our family. It is an enjoyable way for my son to socialize with other children, gain awareness of concepts such as color, rhythm, & body awareness and to develop large motor skills. He loves it and at the end of the day that is what I am looking for at this point in time.

I had the chance to explore the baby class. As I entered it was a nice big space. No strollers are allowed in. I noticed no one at the front. They had been a class going on so it looked around for the enrollment papers. The owner Mary came out and explained how much everything cost. Her first question was if I was local. I thought it was a weird question. Later I found out they offer a fee if you are visiting the island. I had signed up and waited for the clAss. The first thing I had noticed was the music was so loud! It was not at a level where babies could tolerate. (My personal opinion) the TV was always left on. Even during free play. They transitions too fast to the next activity. A four month old can not take all that information in an hour! Being an education major we are taught not to transition quickly.
The teacher did not introduce themselves to the class. One teacher left half way through. Once the class was over free play started. Then all the teachers left and the manager was gone as well. All the parents were left in the room by themselves.
The room itself was very larger and spacious. My son had fun however as a parent and educator I was not impressed.
Plus, it was pretty pricey and they don’t seem to offer a month to month pay process. Or military discount or favor military families from other post I have read. They do not offer refund! So use it or lose it.

Sorry for the length, but I feel it is necessary. Unfortunately this review is not a good one, and i have to agree with what others have said about the owner. We enrolled my 2 ½ year old in Weeplay & Learn in Feb for the 2 day a week program with parent participation, and paid for him to be enrolled until the end of June when we will be leaving island. I was pregnant with our second son so we would eventually be doing the drop off program after the baby was born. In the 6 weeks that my son went to class he had 6 different teachers. It is sad when a 2 ½ year old knows the songs and other students names, but the teacher does not. At one point the teacher even had to ask one of the parents what came next. Stability was a major thing we were looking for and unfortunately Weeplay & Learn was seriously lacking. I figured they were just restructuring so we stuck it out.
Fast forward to when our new son was born. He ended up being in the NICU and then sent home with medical equipment because of issues after birth. I contacted the owner Mary, and let her know he would not be at school for a few weeks until the baby was doing better. Sadly, our issues did not stop there and included another hospital stay for me, and ongoing postpartum issues. I contacted Mary and let her know that it would just not be possible for him to return because I can’t lift over 15lbs so getting him to school could not happen. She said she would talk to accounting and see about getting us a refund. Weeks went by and we did not hear back from her. I contacted her again and was told that she was still working with accounting and please be patient because this was special circumstances. A few more weeks passed and still no word. Now, she is on vacation out of the country and sent me an email informing me she will not be giving us a refund and that the only thing i could do was to sell our balance to a new member wanting to enroll. I find it convenient that she strung me along thinking she was going to be a kind person until she left the country and knows that we would be leaving island in July. Thus giving me no time to pursue legal action. So in turn, I will not be selling my membership to another hard working family. I would not feel right to subject anyone to her and her terrible business practices.
I caution anyone looking to attend here to take their money elsewhere, because although the facility looks nice and pretty it is not worth the hassle for teachers who constantly change and quit, and having to deal with Mary.

So reading some of these reviews truly make me sad. Both my son and daughter go here and they meaning the owner and the staff have been nothing but nice to my family and I, and they are always willing to work with us. Yes it is only a half day program but looking from a parent side my children have developed more then ever! It seems like some people only truly focus on the negatives and never see what either their child has gained from this school is sad! I like this school and the staff and I would whole heartedly recommended this school!

WARNING, THIS IS REALLY LONG, BUT OH SO INFORMATIVE!
Okay I have been wanting to write this review for a long time now and am finally sitting down to give my thoughts about this place.
Let me first start off by saying we have been members of WeePlay since my son was 7 months old and he is turning 3 here next month. At first I really liked the unlimited play classes where I had to attend with him. It was great for what it was. A set schedule of activities depending on the age of your child. They start off with singing Aloha to everyone and then go into another activity. The head teacher would hand out bells, shakers, or some other sort of item to sing a song with. After 15 minutes they would break for free play for 15 minutes. They then reconvene for bubbles, parachute, another few songs, and finally goodbye.
The play center WAS great, a little repetitive but a fun way to meet other moms, get out of the house, and have your little one interact with other children.
The awful review comes from the owner, Mary Melzack.
First of all, please do not think your child is going to get some fantastic education from highly educated professionals since none of the teachers we have had thus far have had more than an Associates degree, and not even in Education.
Second, this is not an accredited Pre-​School. This means that they do not have to abide by the same standards as other pre-​schools nor do they have to do the rigorous accreditation process that other schools do such as provide lesson plans, be observed by the state, and pass all health and safety guidelines. The reason I know all of the previous mentioned is required is because I have a Masters degree in Education and have worked at schools during the tedious accreditation process.
Third, the turnover of the employees is so high since they are not paid any reasonable amount. I know, for a fact, that the highest paid teacher (that we have had) made $ 12/​hour and is only part-​time. Which means that they do not receive any benefits which I find suspect. The math just doesn’t work out for less than 20 hours a week when the school starts at 8:30 and ends at 12… and the teachers have to stay to clean the school.
Fourth, the rates are so high compared to other accredited institutions it is almost laughable. I briefly had an encounter with Mary today (later on that incident), and I saw for three days a week it is $ 450/​month, plus a drop off fee, if you want to drop your child off. Hum, other schools don’t charge a fee for that, they expect you to drop your child off. Hello that is $ 5400 a year for three days a week and you have to stay with your child!
Finally, I cannot tell you how much I despise Mary. The way that she treats her employees is beyond acceptable but the way she treats the parents that have been there for two plus years is sad as well. Believe me I am not the only one who shares this feeling as I have seen many parents as well as teachers come and go!
With that being said, to my incident today. My husband is in the military, and with that we have been lucky to call Hawaii our home for almost 10 years off and on. It has come to our attention that we MAY be leaving the island we have grown to love in August. Our contract expires with Wee Play at the end of May. I inquired about purchasing another 3 months with the 3 months half price knowing that we would not be able to stay… so I wondered if we could get some sort of deal and Mary’s response was an instantaneous «No.» Really? I informed her that I could go ahead and purchase the 6 months (that’s how they get you, make you buy 3 months and get three half off… that is the only way that it is affordable) and she would have to give me a refund if we receive orders according to the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, which protects military families when they are given written orders to report to another duty station. After I told her that she specifically said but we don’t give refunds! But then I began to think about it. Why would I give her any more money? Why would I want the hassle of having to take her to small claims court to refund me my money? Why would I even want to deal with this woman ever again? And then the answer came to me… I wouldn’t want to deal with her or even see her again.
I do hope that she sees this and responds. We still have a month and a half left in our contract and I cannot wait to be rid of Wee Play. The only saving grace for us right now is our wonderful teacher in the 3’s, Ashely. Unfortunately for anyone else who is trying to get into her class, she will be leaving at the end of August. Why? Well I do not know the specifics of her leaving but find it interesting that three of the teachers all decided to quit at the same time. Could that be a coincidence, or could it be because of how awful the owner is. I will let you make up your own mind!
Bottom line, my advice is STAY AWAY!

My daughter and I had a very good experience at wee play. It is conveniently located within Ward warehouse with plenty of free parking. The facility was clean and allows parents to rest while their child is in a safe and fun environment. We enjoyed many saturdays here while dad stayed home and was able to get his rest :). Will enroll again when my son turns 1−½ years old.

I’d give this place a ZERO, if I could! You’re better off with MyGym or Gymboree!
Mary (the owner, unfortunately) is a rude and very unprofessional… almost «Cruella Deville-​like». Ya… she’s that bad.
I called a day prior, inquiring about the free preview class for 3 kids (ages 7mos. and 2.5 y.o.). I informed Mary, that my SIL (who is born and raised in HI, and still obtains valid HI ID) and her family are moving back to HI and looking for a place to enroll. Mary provided brief information about the different time slots for the kids ages, even offered a tour of the facility. Since the time frames for the different age groups were far apart, I just asked to schedule something for the bigger kids (the 2.5 y.o.) Mary said there’s no need to register, just show up 10 – 15 minutes prior to the class.
That’s it.
The next day, as instructed, we arrive 15 mins prior to the 10am class.
My SIL and I aren’t even greeted, but rudely told by Mary that no strollers are allowed in the facility. We park the stroller outside and get all 3 kids out and walk in. Mary then approaches us, and ask if it’s our first time. We nod. She asks if we’re HI residents, I confirm for my son and I, and repeated what I had told her over the phone about my SIL and her family. Mary immediately denies a free preview class for my SIL and her kids, and then decides to give me information about their non-​residence policy… a $ 35 fee. My SIL and her kids drove all the way from Mililani. For those with more than one child, you’ll understand how time consuming it is to load and unload 2 kids. Mary, or should I say «Cruella Deville», showed no sympathy for that, instead gave a insincere, pathetic apology and went about collecting the fees.
I could not contain my anger and went off on «Ms. Deville»! This information would’ve been GREATLY appreciated yesterday when I had called. Since there were other clients around, Mary started to lie, saying she gave me that information and then put words in my mouth, saying I confirmed for a later class. If she had informed me about the non-​resisdency policy yesterday, like she claimed, why would I waste my time?!
I, myself, run a small business, and I would’ve handled this ALOT differently. Especially as the owner, exceptions would’ve been offered.
MARY, IF YOU’RE GONNA RUN A LOCAL BUSINESS… MAKE SURE YOU TAKE CARE OF YOUR LOCALS!

Before to go there you should know that the owner Mary is in just for the money. She doesn’t care much about the kids’ well-​being, Hopefully some teachers/​assistants are doing a good job with the kids.
We have had problems with the owner. She’s been rude to me and my kid on too many occasions…
The first thing I don’t like is she doesn’t try to listen to your opinion. She is the owner and she decides…
So if your kid doesn’t take a nap you should pay for an extra person to pay attention to him. If you kid is happy, active and doesn’t always sit when she’d like to, same thing, plus she will try to tell you «your kid has ADD»…
She is not only rude to the parents and kids, she is also rude to her employees. You will soon notice that it is exceptional if a teacher or assistant stay long…
I had such a bad experience there that I cannot remember all the details.
One more thing, it is not as clean as you can think there…
Toys are not clean. They never clean them.
So before to sign up there please see other negative reviews and ask yourself. «Does it worth to pay this much?» My answer is NO.

Be very consious of where your child is and never leave them alone there.

Very unprofessional, I was given a fee total for one month, I payed it. But on the last friday of the month, they told me that if I wanted my child to attend, I had to pay an additional $ 35 because june has 5 fridays and u only payed for 4. They also said the emailed me and called but both was a lie, I never got any calls or emails, just really misleading and shifty. They had the the lead host running two classes at the same time, I dont think there is much organization, or preplanning. Gymboree is so much more professional, and well organized, no hidden or after the fact fees, very poor showing. never going back, its not worth more then «free » !!! Im also disappointed that when we signed up they felt the need to trash talk Gymboree, really poor showing

My daughter loved the Weeplay class we participated in! The class was 45 minutes long. It consisted of 15 minutes of teacher led activities followed by 15 minutes of free play then another 15 minutes of teacher led activities. This structure was perfect for my 17 month old ball of energy! I can’t imagine her having to participate for a whole 45 minutes. The break (free play) and transitions in between worked well.
My daughter played on all the equipment in the room. She also used puppets, bells, bubbles, scarfs, and ribbon during teacher led activities! I liked that parents participate along side with their children. The teacher (Mr. Johnny I think.) was positive and used my child’s name throughout. He also was animated and well mannered (modeled polite/​positive language) I liked it a lot!
I first called Weeplay to inquire about a free preview class. I spoke to the owner Mary who was very informative and kind. When I arrived she remembered our call and treated my family well!
My daughter will participate in Weeplay this summer for four weeks. I am so excited for her, she is going to have so much fun!

I have to second what other people have said about the owner.
I went one time with my daughter because a friend recommended the place. When I said I was interested in getting a part-​time job she said that Wee-​Play was hiring.
I went in and I observed a class that was going on and it looked fun enough. It’s not like it’s hard to have fun with a bunch of toddlers and giant padded toys! I saw Mary (who I assume is the owner after reading this) and asked if they were hiring and if I might be able to come in for an interview. I have 6 years of childcare and teaching experience going from preschool/​daycare-​5^th grade and a B.A. so I wasn’t worried that I wasn’t qualified.
She seemed offended that I would want a part-​time job when I have a daughter. She kept saying «Well, who is going to watch your daughter while you work?» as if that’s any of her business. I told her that depending on the hours her father could watch her, or maybe if it was a class tailored for kids her age she could participate.
She kept repeating «Well, I don’t know how you expect to work when you have a child.» Really? I took her card but was so turned off by what I perceived to be a weird attitude that I never went back, which was disappointing because before meeting her I thought it could be something my daughter would enjoy.
I give two stars, because I’d give the owner no stars, but considering I haven’t attended a class, just observed, I shouldn’t take stars away from the whole thing.

My daughter (17 months) really enjoys coming here. They offer all types of play classes for babies up to preschoolers which encourage cooperation, motor skills & do it all in a fun way that include nursery rhymes, songs & parent child interactions.
The set up is great! They have a clean & child friendly bathroom, a play area with lots of balls, slides, puppets & much more. They also have a mom workout room, mini trampoline, art area & a kitchen.
I highly recommend signing your child up, my daughter really has a blast! It’s also a great prep for preschool!

This facility is perfect! Clean, friendly, educational, and innovative!
They offer play groups (I just took my 18 month old daughter for a free trial class) Prep-​Preschool, mom work out facility (with cardio kick boxing, zumba, and pilates), kids camp (a kind of baby sitting service), and other monthly events.
Its an investment at appox $ 100 plus a month and $ 50 annual membership fee (the prep pre school is about $ 300 a month) but with school prep starting earlier and earier this is a fun way to get things started!
Parents, grandparents, and nannies are encouraged to come and participate and it makes the experience very enjoyable.
I would highly recommend Wee Play & Learn to other families without outdoor play spaces (I live in a condo in Makiki), families with only one child (such as mine), and new moms or mainland transplants who want to meet other parents. Worth the investment!!!

My son, the 14 month old terror, brimming with seemingly boundless curiosity and energy, was no longer content to explore the limited confines of our small apartment.
Luckily, my and wife I discovered Weeplay.
Located on the second floor of Ward Warehouse, Weeplay offers a clean, spacious center filled with toys and playthings where children from age 8 months to 5 years old can frolic to their heart’s content while under the supervision of their parents for a low monthly fee.
Children are segregated according to their age range and specific activities are tailored for their enjoyment.
Weeplay also allows toddlers to develop social skills with other children.
Highly recommended for parents with toddlers.