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What was "Playcare," and how was it so well known for its popularity? It... used to be. Aside from past reference, let's explain Playcare and the charter school for orphans.
Playcare refers to the school itself inside the dome and the general place of it all. As you walk inside the building, a giant dome, you're greeted to a white painted area filled with colorful paints on the walls. The area is dedicated to check in's, looking to adopt an orphan, dropping off a child, or, among other things such as Playcare tours.
Playcare served as a place for children without a family or a home. Playtime Co wants to give these orphans a place to live without worry, so Elliot Ludwig created the Playcare for this reason.
When you walk inside the dome, you find an elevator in the middle of the place; it has stairs and a train that functions. This brings you and children to Playcare.
Similarly to how the Playcare looked in Poppy Playtime Chapter 3, it's much larger and has a variety of places. The Playcare is an actual school, there's eight different houses/"dens" that are critter's themed, a park with faux grass and soccer nets, a cafeteria, a playhouse, and they all have significance within the structures.
Playcare has a multitude of classrooms, as it's a huge school with up to four floors, stairs and elevators can be taken up and down through the area. There are after school clubs that take place as well within the building, the critters can decide on where the meeting's of the club's take place; in their dens, park, cafeteria, or in the building, it didn't matter.
The cafeteria serves as a purpose of the lunch room of a typical school building, except it's a whole different architecture rather than being inside the Playcare. Children go here to eat mainly! Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served every day. Of course, there are snacks for children who are hungry throughout the day. They care about the children's health.
The eight dens belonged to each of the teachers. Children assigned themselves to a room, but they were also free to sleep and play in other's dens; as long as they remembered their original den, they chose! Each of the den has different energies, and how each child learns to behave will differ. The most quiet den's are Crafty's, CatNap's, and Bubba's. The loudest dens were Kickin's, Hoppy's, and Picky's. No in between, the middle ground were DogDay's and Bobby's; they didn't mind what the children did, just as long as they could be responsible enough.
The Playhouse was an outdoor playground right next to the park. The kids used it for recess and gym class. There were many gym related things located throughout the park. There were different balls and nets, and among other things.
For the scientists and research team, they wanted to test each child that got in about basic reading & math skills. Depending on their placements, they got extra help from DogDay and each of the teachers to help them learn faster. Some kids didn't want to learn anything, and as much as the teachers felt bad, they knew they had to help them no matter what.
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Teacher Introductions
Speaking of Bubba– meet our math & science teacher, Bubba Bubbaphant! He not only likes to teach science, but he's also willing to provide even extra information on chemistry and biology. Following that, along with extra units of math; algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and calculus. Some students made it, some don't! The scientists are the ones who test the students' skills and see what math class they could belong in (if they have an interest in math).
Bubba also likes to bring in actual scientist supplies (with permission) for his science classes. For the kids, he wants them to have fun each year when it comes to biology. He insists on using microscopes, dissecting tools, and learning about bacteria and mold. It's the little things he wants the children to find. Usually, Crafty offers assisting Bubba in his biology classes; when he takes the children out of the dome to find new materials and understanding photosynthesis, Crafty is his co teacher and brings their kids outside too with Bubba's.
With wanting the best for the orphans, next up is Bobby Bearhug; the Social Studies & English teacher! You may be wondering why she would choose such an elective when she had the opportunity to choose strictly Health & Kindness, but there's in-depth answering to that. Bobby, at first, was very scared of the scientists. She wanted nothing to do with them. Locked away, the precious bear, she wouldn't budge with social interactions. It wasn't until the researchers continued leaving her alone, supplying her with human history books; that's when her heart opened, bursting into the love she's able to give to everyone today, realizing how important the history of humans were in every different angle and journalism.
Just the amount of history she had been able to learn, she truly couldn't get enough of it. Bobby loves to read, often talking about the books she's read with Crafty and Picky. In English, she teaches about analysis and journalism, along with poetry and encouraging her students to read five books (or more) a month. The student with the highest books read gets rewards from the treasure chest filled with prizes in her English classroom. For Social Studies, she teaches new things every year! True to heart, each of her students bonds over it by asking; "what's Ms. Bearhug teaching this year?" "What did you guys learn from last year?" "Do you guys remember when she taught __?" The list would go on! She treats her students very well, making sure they, too, know they're a part of the history every day.
The first core classes taught by Bobby and Bubba, let's give Crafty their spotlight! Crafty Corn is the Arts & Crafts teacher, a class a variety of students should choose once in their lifetime. After they realized a touch of a pencil, a pick up of a pen, the way a paint brush would swish across their canvas, they knew art was just for them. Sometimes, there are students who don't like the traditional use of drawing (or digital), so they offer the crafting part to the children!
If a child doesn't want to do either arts or crafts, they are offered a writing class instead. The arts & crafts stand for everything art related, and Crafty tries their best to help each child grow a liking to the arts. Whether it being a form of expression of how they're feeling, or simply just for fun, Crafty wanted to motivate each student in their own way to do something fun!
Not only was the English class taught, but there was also Kickin Chicken, the World Languages teacher! Kickin would provide orphans up to three languages, those being Spanish, French, and ASL. When the new orphans come down here, there's either most that don't speak English or that they are nonverbal, so Kickin wants to do the best he can when helping these children out. When Kickin was in the labs for experiments when he was younger, he didn't start speaking until he was around nine. (in human years/years went on) Kickin showed interest in the way that human cultures were represented and interacted, thus choosing the world language class option.
Kickin is also the recess teacher, for whenever the children need time between their classes to run around and play outside. They're given an hour to do whatever they please; running around the park or simply relaxing, getting food, saying hi to each of the smiling critters who are preparing for their next lessons, or even playing a sport with Hoppy! Kickin is the one the children go to if there's an issue happening between the kids or if they need something small, like a few toys to play with or generally anything. He's very much a chaotic teacher. The children enjoy the way he teaches and how he interacts with each of them.
The opposite of recess will be quiet time or flex, CatNap's occupation as a teacher. CatNap gives children the opportunity to rest up and finish their homework assigned by the other teachers. "Flex" is basically a 45-minute time to sit inside CatNap's den, their living room, with the motivational boost to work on assignments and homework. Hence the other title, quiet time, they prefer if the students were to stay quiet during their working times. If a disruption occurs, CatNap excuses it, and the other children tap on the signs located across the living room.
It's very simple, CatNap greets the students if they aren't typically asleep, resting on the "teacher's desk," which actually substitutes as a small bed for CatNap to rest on. As the children walk inside, most of them stay quiet while pulling out their supplies to do their schoolwork. If there's children that don't have any schoolwork given to them, they can also choose to participate in Hoppy's class or simply walk around the Playcare. CatNap uses their tail for a multitude of things. They can pick up children with their tail, or really *anything.*
With the aforementioned Hoppy Hopscotch, what does our beloved bunny teacher do? She's the gym teacher, of course! Hoppy brings out the best in everyone, encouraging children to stay active within the Playcare, outside and inside. No matter what, when the children leave, they always try to remember her lessons that were taught. Hoppy knows about the popular sports in America nationwide, but what's the fun in that? Putting research into multicultural sports across the world, putting all her knowledge into her own course she provides each day.
Usually, she forgets on the children being, y'know, humans... so she's constantly telling them how to stretch and be more flexible than any human could possibly be. No one could ever outhop Ms. Hopscotch, she's hopped high enough to even touch the top of the dome! Truly, it wasn't humanely possible to do such a thing, so she made it well aware of how awesome she was. And, one day, the kids could do something greater than her!
Along with needing a daily day by day gym class and coach, we would need a health teacher. Who could fill that role? Picky Piggy, our health & Kindness teacher! She informs each student about eating healthy, the risks of drugs, mental health, the human body, medicine, and actions to take during life-threatening emergencies. Depending on what grade the child is in and their maturity, she teaches the courses in that order as they get older.
For a young little pig like Picky when growing up, she was, of course, picky. The scientists actually didn't know what to do, but later, the doctors gave her a diagnosis of ARFID. Throughout her childhood, she would refuse many foods, going through therapy to combat the pickiness, but it only frustrated her more. Now, in her 20s, she's managed to eat a better selection of food. Realizing many children and humans in general were just like her, she too got the sympathy and wanted to make sure the children she takes care of rely on a better nutrition and being able to learn about different aspects of life; even helping most of the research team with things they didn't teach to Picky herself.
The last teacher there's on the list, DogDay. As the sunny leader of the smiling critters and the first to be experimented on, every child loves this sunny dog and is the one first to be greeted by him. DogDay does tours of the Playcare with the other scientists, being trusted to lead the path for many. What is his role as a teacher, however? He doesn't have an exact role that makes sense to people, but that's why he loves it so much. DogDay, our sunny substitute; the principal and speech/learning center teacher that provides aid to many of the children who struggle. Mental health, disability, he's best in those departments.
DogDay does daily check in's with each child, pulling them aside to ask a few questions and giving them a bright smile in return as thanks to the child opening up to him. Think of it as that one teacher who always goes out and about in the halls of the Playcare, dangling their keys that even the children recognize. Not only does he check in with children and aid them, but he makes sure to check in with the other critters as well. Each of them are very different on how they open up, and DogDay doesn't mind one bit. He's patient enough.
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And that summarizes each of the critter's roles as teachers! Each of them want to do their best to help each child, even if it's required to the critter's do it both by choice and requirement. These children mean a lot to them. Without the orphans, they wouldn't know why they're even alive to begin with.
Though... with eight wonderful critters, comes tragic, awful backstory. It couldn't be all that bad, right?
Unpacking all that heavy baggage can lead each of them back to the same old spot they used to be in. Confused, scared, lost. The teachers take care of the children each assigned to them because... there's also a little part that makes the critters get reminded of, the children the teachers once were.
Maybe one day they could properly unpack it, just like DogDay... they have to look up to someone and go to them for every issue after all. Only one sunny dog can know so much.
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Playcare Club's
With the few mentions of after school club's, what they offered were eight additional clubs for any child that had an interest in.
Hoppy taught Track & Field, as there was a readily available track to do all of the events that occurred within the sport. There's fun competitions that occur every few months to prove how fast and how high each child could jump and run. It took place after school every day during the fall and spring, but they took breaks from summer to winter time.
DogDay actually had swimming lessons provided to the children and even had a swim team. It seemed out of place for him to have, but he didn't mind. He was the one who suggested it to begin with. Every Friday and weekends he hosted them, having beginner lessons and letting them learn laps and how to float in water– it was more or so a winter and summer time thing. Competitions took place in those months as well.
Picky owned the cooking club, and she would share new recipes on Wednesdays, having all the materials needed and ready to go. She allowed the children to learn about the use of microwaves, ovens, stoves, pots, and pans, and lastly, cleaning up after themselves (so just basic knowledge of doing dishes and the like).
Bubba held algebra enrichment every Monday and Friday after school, and they lasted two hours; he even lets the kid's compete against each other, "mathlete's," basically. He was proud of every kid who did show up.
Crafty absolutely loved holding book clubs after school. Not only were they an Arts & Crafts teacher, but the Playcare's librarian offered a huge selection of books inside the building. The club took place in the Playcare library, usually reading stories to the younger children or discussing books at the tables. If you needed a book, no matter the reason, Crafty always had one for you!
Bobby was a co assistant in Crafty's book club, but she also gave kids a chance to do fun things surrounding the holidays. Every Friday after school when it got close to a holiday, she would host the Holiday Club which made kids create and craft things for eachother or themselves: as a little present or thank you to one another.
Kickin had so much fun hosting Spanish & French club; Spanish club took place every Friday, French club took place every Thursday. Fluent in both, he helped kids who were already interested in the two languages learn better! Those who were already fluent in one or two of the languages took it as an opportunity to bond with other children who were the same.
CatNap similarly held a language club, and it was for ASL. They were selectively mute, so over the years they were able to learn the language; DogDay and Kickin are fully fluent in ASL, as the other five critters didn't get much a chance to pick up on it yet, however they do know some basic words in ASL so it was already more than helpful enough. The club took place after school on Tuesday and Thursday, but on different cycle weeks, it could be placed on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays– it was entirely up to CatNap and how the school calendar went.