Childsplay

What Childsplay does

Childsplay is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit children's theater company founded in 1977 and headquartered in Tempe, Arizona, currently operating in its 49th season. The organization produces theatrical performances for children and families at its Tempe venue, tours productions nationally (Maddi's Fridge for 2025-26 and Snowy Day for 2026-27), and operates a portfolio of youth development and education programs spanning Academy classes and camps for ages 4-18, YETi teen theatre, CAST show choir, and a Conservatory track. The company's core business combines consumer-facing ticket revenue with B2B/B2G revenue from school residency programs, in-school performances, field trips, and educator professional development, priced from $150 for classroom lessons to $850 for after-school programs.

Childsplay's signature education offering is EYEPlay (Early Years Educators at Play), a research-backed professional development program that trains preschool teachers in drama-based literacy and social-emotional learning techniques. EYEPlay has been validated through quasi-experimental and experimental studies conducted in partnership with Arizona State University, with peer-reviewed publications in Childhood Education and the International Journal of Education and the Arts. The program has expanded into a dual-language variant (with Helios Education Foundation funding), a Florida replication (via Orlando Repertory Theatre), and an EYEPlay ADAPT variant for Pre-K Special Education classrooms (funded by the Spencer Foundation and U.S. Department of Education EIR program). EYEPlay has been implemented in 122 classrooms including 24 bilingual/dual language sites across Arizona and Florida.

The revenue model is diversified across earned income (ticket sales, school program fees, academy tuition, national tour licensing) and contributed income (foundation grants, federal/state education funds, individual donations through the Society for Imagination and Wonder donor society). Material grant funders include Helios Education Foundation, the U.S. Department of Education (AAEDD and EIR programs), the Spencer Foundation, and the AZ Department of Education (ESSER funds). Distribution occurs through the Tempe venue, on-site school programs delivered by 40+ teaching artists, national touring, and a self-serve online learning platform.

Name

Childsplay

Legal name

Childsplay

Website

https://childsplayaz.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's Theater and Performing Arts Education

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110), Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111), Performing Arts Companies (7111), Fine Arts Schools (61161), Educational Services (61)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Children’s & Youth Theatre (MPAGABAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Performing Arts (Acting, Improv, Theater) (EDAAAGAE), Classroom Learning Centers & Thematic Units (Dramatic Play, Blocks, Sensory, STEM) (EDACAJAH), Parent–Child Play & Interaction Programs (EDACALAF)

Keywords

• Children's theater productions
• Drama education programs
• School residency programs
• Educator professional development
• Youth performing arts

Headquarters

HQ city

Tempe

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from selling tickets to theater performances and shows for children and families. The organization operates a 49th season with various productions.
2. School Program Fees: Schools and districts pay for drama residency programs, in-school performances, field trips, and professional development services. Pricing starts at $150 for creative drama in classrooms, $400 for custom programs, and $850 for after-school programs.
3. Academy Classes and Camps: Revenue from theater classes, camps, and programs for kids and teens ages 4-18, including private lessons and the Conservatory program.
4. Donations and Grants: As a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN: 86-0336473), Childsplay receives charitable donations and grants from foundations such as Helios Education Foundation and government education funds.
5. National Tours: Revenue from touring productions such as Maddi's Fridge (2025-2026 National Tour) and Snowy Day (2026-2027 National Tour) to venues outside Arizona.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Childsplay produces live children's theater performances and delivers drama-based educational programming. The organization stages mainstage and national touring theatrical productions for families, and offers in-school residencies, field trip performances, after-school drama programs, and educator professional development programs (EYEPlay, Drama Frames, Lit Lab) to schools, districts, and preschools. Complementary youth development offerings include theater classes, camps, and teen programs (YETi, CAST, Conservatory) for ages 4-18.

Product overview

Childsplay is a nonprofit children's theater company offering a multi-faceted portfolio of programs. The core offering is theatrical productions for children and families, featuring seasonal mainstage shows and national touring productions. Educational programs include drama-based professional development for educators (EYEPlay, Drama Frames, Lit Lab, and custom school workshops) and school residency programs. Youth development offerings span Academy classes and camps (ages 4-18), YETi Teen Theatre, and after-school drama programs. The organization also produces a podcast for educators and provides downloadable educational resource guides to complement productions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• EYEPlay: Early Years Educators at Play - a creative drama program designed specifically for preschool that transforms story times into spaces of active literacy, language and social emotional learning.
• YETi
• CAST
• Drama Frames
• Lit Lab
• Academy
• LEAP into Literacy
• Conservatory
• Society for Imagination and Wonder (SIW)

Products and services

• Theatrical Productions Live theater performances for children and families, including seasonal mainstage shows and national touring productions such as Maddi's Fridge and Snowy Day, performed at the Tempe venue and on tour.
• EYEPlay (Early Years Educators at Play) Creative drama professional development program for preschool teachers and children ages 3-5 that transforms story times into active literacy and social-emotional learning experiences through drama-based lessons; supported by an interactive online learning platform and variants for dual-language and Special Education classrooms.
• Drama Frames Job-embedded professional development model that works one-on-one with teachers to integrate drama into their curriculum, originally funded by a million dollar grant from the US Department of Education.
• Lit Lab Bite-sized, multi-week professional development program for PreK-2nd grade educators to work with teaching artists integrating drama practices into classrooms.
• School/District Professional Development Workshops Custom professional development workshops for schools and districts based on their specific goals and needs, delivered by Childsplay's team of educators and teaching artists.
• Creative Drama in Your Classroom Drama-infused classroom lessons connecting to core curriculum topics, including the 'Curtains Up' Performance Residency and Build Your Own custom programs; pricing starts at $150.
• Creative Drama After-School After-school programs exploring new worlds through science, literacy, or social-emotional development, including Explore-A-Story, Actor's Tools, and Improvmmania modules; pricing starts at $850.
• Academy Classes & Camps Theater classes and summer camps for youth ages 4-18 covering acting, performance skills, and theatrical arts, including private lessons.
• YETi - Teen Theatre Teen theater program offering advanced theatrical experiences for teenagers, including mainstage productions such as Dracula and The Spelling Bee.
• CAST - Teen Show Choir Teen show choir program providing ensemble singing and performance training for teenagers.
• Conservatory Advanced theater training program for teens and young artists seeking intensive performance and artistic development.
• National Tours Traveling theatrical productions licensed and performed at regional theaters across the U.S., including Maddi's Fridge (2025-2026) and Snowy Day (2026-2027).
• Private Lessons One-on-one private coaching and lessons in acting and performance skills for youth.

Quantifiable outcome

• Statistically significant increases in teacher facilitation skills and children's scores in literacy and cognitive elements of Teaching Strategies Gold
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Phoenix Elementary DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 20244-year grant from US Department of Education's EIR program for EYEPlay Adapt experimental design study in Phoenix-area Special Education preschool classrooms, focusing on students with high communication needs.
• Phoenix Elementary DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Spencer Foundation Research Practice and Partnership Grant awarded to develop EYEPlay ADAPT in partnership with Phoenix Elementary District to serve Pre-K Special Education classrooms.
• Orlando Repertory TheatrecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Florida partnership to expand EYEPlay Dual Language in 13 Phoenix classrooms, with parallel study by ASU researchers evaluating effectiveness of drama as teaching strategy for emergent bilingual children.
• Orange County Public Schools (Florida)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Florida expansion partner for EYEPlay Dual Language program implementation in partnership with Orlando Repertory Theatre.
• Creighton School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Partner in four-year grant with ASU and Helios Education Foundation to create dual-language version of EYEPlay and study impact of dual language learning on children's academic achievement.
• Osborn School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Partner in four-year grant with ASU and Helios Education Foundation to create dual-language version of EYEPlay.
• First Things First Family Resource CentersminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014LEAP into Literacy adult/family literacy programs offered at First Things First Family Resource centers throughout metro Phoenix to encourage active reading during storytime at home.
• Paradise Valley Community CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Partnership to offer semester-long version of EYEPlay as part of continuing education for preschool teachers.
• Arizona State University (ASU)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011Research partnership with Dr. Michael Kelley and formal research team conducting quasi-experimental and experimental studies of EYEPlay's impact on teacher and child achievement. Ongoing collaboration on program evaluation and development.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Orlando Repertory Theatre: Professional theater for young audiences and existing EYEPlay expansion partner in Florida; directly comparable in mission, audience, and education-integrated model.
• Children's Theatre Company: Minneapolis-based, one of the largest US children's theaters, producing family shows and theater education, directly comparable to Childsplay's core offering.
• Seattle Children's Theatre: Major nonprofit theater producing plays for young audiences with extensive drama education programs, closely mirroring Childsplay's productions-plus-education model.
• Imagination Stage: Bethesda nonprofit offering children's theater productions plus theater education and inclusive arts programming, very similar to Childsplay's scope.
• First Stage: Milwaukee children's theater pairing professional productions with a large theater academy, paralleling Childsplay's Academy and YETi youth programs.
• TheaterWorksUSA: National touring theater for young and family audiences; directly comparable to Childsplay's national tour business model.
• Dallas Children's Theater: Nonprofit theater for young audiences with academy classes and school programs, matching Childsplay's combined performance and education portfolio.
• Nashville Children's Theatre: Long-running professional theater for young audiences with school and education programs comparable to Childsplay.

Emerging players

• Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts: Arts-integration provider training early-childhood educators to use performing arts in classrooms, directly comparable to Childsplay's EYEPlay/Drama Frames teacher PD model.

Regional players

• The Coterie Theatre: Kansas City professional theater for young audiences with education programs; comparable offering serving a different geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/childsplayaz
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/ChildsplayTheatre
• Facebookfacebook.com/ChildsplayAZ
• Instagraminstagram.com/childsplayaz
• Pinterestpinterest.com/ChildsplayAZ

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Childsplay