What IF families didn’t have to go their separate ways every morning – kids to daycare and parents to work? What IF kids could play where their parents worked? What IF families could stay connected in a warm community of caretakers throughout the day?
Those are the questions Dr. Schyler Raad and their spouse, Rachel, asked when forced to leave home for work outside and pay for traditional isolationist daycare after working from home together caring for their newborn after the COVID lockdown.
The answer – Rainy Day Work & Play, (RDWP) a coworking and play care center, community and employee owned startup that plans to open this fall in downtown Olympia.
“Work. Play. Belong. Together.” That encapsulates the whole philosophy behind RDWP’s model, which combines high-quality supervised play for children with homey, well-equipped workspaces for caretakers. From robust educational play environments to strong Wi-Fi and quality coffee, RDWP is reimagining what it means to support families, workers, and communities alike.
“We’re not here to babysit or offer bare-bones coworking,” said Dr. Schyler Raad (they/he), Founding Member and RDWP Director of Education. “We’re here to change the norm. Families deserve more than just survival — they deserve thrival.”
RDWP’s Four Pair Principles are built into the experience: Work & Education, Play & Community, Excellence & Comfort, Value & Reputation. Children embark on adventures that ignite curiosity and support readiness for learning, while adults reclaim their focus and purpose in spaces that feel like home.
“We say: Kids grow. You flow. We own it together. That’s the heart of it,” said Raad. “It’s not just a space. It’s a system built for belonging, for caretakers, children, workers, and neighbors alike.”
The Olympia-based team has raised funds for its first location, slated for Grand Opening on Halloween, with the goal of expanding throughout the Pacific Northwest in the coming years. Backers are invited to support the crowdfund campaign, share the vision, and help establish a new national standard for family-centered infrastructure.
Dr. Raad describes RDWP –
| “RDWP is a supervised indoor playground. What we call playcare. It’s not a daycare because you’re there too, and there’s people there to help you. People there to help you watch your kid and tutor them, people there to help you get a coffee or a treat, and importantly, people to help you find a quiet space to get some work done. All with the peace of mind that just steps away your child is safe at play. And you can play with them and spend time with them whenever you want, on a break, at lunch, and after work too. Rainy Day Work & Play is a space where kids can experiment, create, play with numbers and words, use their imagination, and build their dreams. A grandparent can play with their grandkids during open hours. Friends can catch up in the cafe, kids can have a birthday party, and caretakers can attend parenting workshops infused with art and music. It’s built for families like yours. And mine.” |
In addition to full-time, part-time, and drop-in services, RDWP plans to facilitate cooperative agreements where families will be in “kidpools,” and caretakers have the option to contribute to the “kidpool” if they want to be reimbursed in kind.
The program has also sparked some interest at the Department of Children, Youth, and Families. There is potential for it to become a full fledged pilot program, much like outdoor nature-based schools were studied in 2017 and became law in 2019.
As the campaign says:
“Yours. Mine. Ours. Let’s Thrive.”
To learn more about this innovative program, please visit:
https://www.facebook.com/RainyDayWorkandPlay
https://www.instagram.com/rainydayworkandplay/
To support the crowdfunding campaign, please visit www.igg.me/at/rdwp
Dr. Schyler Raad is the Founding Member and RDWP Director of Education
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