Simply Therapy and Play Smart Preschool will be expanding their business in a new location at 1512 Frederica Street — the former Puzzle Pieces location. According to a press release from owners Jill Payne and Trina Pryor, this expansion will allow the businesses to offer new services and accept new enrollment for preschool.
Payne and Pryor, both speech-language pathologists, purchased the 12,000 square-foot space with hopes to move in by early 2020.
“February or March would be ideal,” Payne said. “We’ll have a lot of renovations we’ll want to do to make it our own, but with the gym and outdoor classroom space, it was perfect for us.”
Simply Therapy opened in 2010 and provides speech and occupational therapies, as well as tutoring services. Play Smart Preschool opened in 2018 and provides a play-based learning program for children ages 2-5.
Payne said this expansion will allow Simply Therapy and Play Smart to increase enrollment numbers from 18 kids a day to 60 kids a day.
“In this new location, Simply Therapy will add new treatment rooms, a gymnasium, and a sensory room,” the release states. “A homework club (after-school program), social skills groups and an expansion of tutoring services is also planned. Play Smart Preschool will expand the number of classrooms from one to five. They will accept ages 2-5 for preschool and aftercare until 5:30, and will have a half-day toddler program available.”
The expansion will also include more programs in the classrooms, such as All About Reading, Social Thinking, Dr. Yum’s Preschool Food Adventures, as well as a large indoor gross motor area, an indoor climbing structure and an outdoor classroom.
Payne and Pryor had been talking about expanding their services and finding more space over the last two years.
“We were looking at different locations on and off, asking questions like, ‘Do we want to build?’ or ‘Should we split these businesses up?’” Payne said. “It all turned out the way it was supposed to. It’s a big jump, but we’re so excited.”
Payne said she and Pryor are meeting a need for this kind of learning environment by expanding their services to the community of Owensboro and Daviess County and opening enrollment to more students.
“We’ll be able to offer a lot more opportunities,” she said.
