Mission
Pretend City Builds Better Brains
Values
We believe:
young children learn best through their play.
families are our children’s first and most important teachers.
in supporting healthy childhood development.
in nurturing a passion for learning through play.
diversity enriches children’s lives.
in connecting families to each other and the community.
play changes the world.
Vision
To ensure that each child is ready for school success by providing real-world learning experiences that children need to develop essential foundational learning skills
History
Nineteen years ago, two local women, Sandy Stone and Alex Airth, marched forward with their innovative vision for a world-class Children’s Museum in Orange County and the idea of Pretend City Children’s Museum was born. Many years of planning and fund-raising by a strong and forward-thinking board produced the grand opening of the museum in August of 2009. Since that time the museum has seen well over one million guests.
In seven short years, Pretend City has grown to be a valuable community resource showcasing the annual Health and Wellness Fair, Parent Symposium and serving as a venue for a wide variety of community partners to deliver their programs and workshops.
Offering free developmental screenings, classes, cultural activities and special events along with providing the community with a fun birthday party and event venue, Pretend City has grown from a mere idea to a well-respected early childhood educational institution attracting parents, grandparents, school groups and educators from Orange County and well beyond.