Creative Playrooms is celebrating its 40th anniversary.
In 1968, Joan Wenk looked into daycare options for her own children and was disappointed. She decided to embark upon an adventure that would span the next 40 years.
Wenk and her childhood friend, Shirley Jeric, opened Creative Playrooms April 1, 1968, in Maple Heights. Other centers were opened in Garfield Heights in 1973, Solon in 1984, Westlake in 1990, Strongsville in 1995 and Independence, Parma and Stow all in 2001. The Garfield Heights center merged with the original location in Maple Heights in 1999.
Wenk was a finalist for the Entrepreneur of the Year in July 2000. Creative Playrooms was awarded the Northeast Business Association "Best Place to Work" in 2001-02.
Creative Playrooms now has seven locations in northeast Ohio providing childcare services. It offers programs for children 6 weeks old through 12 years of age, including Montessori, private-charted kindergarten, swimming, Spanish, computers, arts, crafts and cooking.
Creative Playrooms will celebrate its 40-year anniversary in April with party activities, a photo gallery presentation for Wenk and Jeric, a childrens' raffle for a 26-inch bike, a 40th anniversary commemorative cookbook and other items. The staff and children also will wear 40th anniversary T-shirts throughout the year.
For more information, visit www.creativeplayrooms.com.