Meet Jacqueline
I’ve spent more than 25 years working with children, families, and communities and somehow, after all these years, I’m still convinced that play might be one of the most serious things we overlook.
I’m an educator by trade and a community builder by nature. Over the years, I’ve worked as a recreation leader, teacher, pre-college advisor, parent educator, doula, foster parent, college professor, and veteran. I’ve worn a lot of hats, but the mission has stayed pretty consistent: helping children and families feel seen, supported, and connected.
Oh Happy Play grew out of that work.
I started the organization because I kept seeing the same problem: children don’t always have access to the toys, materials, experiences, and opportunities they need to simply play. And I kept thinking, What if we did something about that?
So we did.
Through toy reuse, Learn & Play programs, community partnerships, and a healthy appreciation for really good toys, Oh Happy Play works to close the play gap while keeping perfectly wonderful toys out of landfills.
I’m also a mother of four, which means I have spent plenty of time stepping over toys, finding mysterious Lego pieces with my bare feet, answering questions I absolutely did not know the answer to, and learning firsthand that sometimes the best thing you can give a child is room to imagine.
This work is personal. It comes from decades of experience, a deep love for children and families, and a belief that joy, creativity, and play are not extras. They matter.
I’m not new to this work.
I’m true to it.
And I’m just getting started.
— Jacqueline