¡Eso! Play Lab is a play-based Spanish immersion program for kids ages 4–12 in Long Island City, Queens built by a bunch of local moms that just wanted this for our kids. Now, we’ll keep building it the same way it started: by talking to parents, listening to kids, and figuring out what works.
Fun Comes First
We focus on creating experiences that kids look forward to. Our biggest win is when a parent tells us their kid was hesitant to come for the first session but was looking forward to the second session!
Community Matters
When kids build friendships, share experiences, and feel a sense of belonging, Spanish becomes more than something they learn. We want to bring Spanish to life by making it a part of life.
Meet Our Team
Meet a few of the incredible coaches behind ¡Eso! Play Lab. With backgrounds in education, child development, psychology, and caregiving, they do far more than lead activities: they build relationships, spark conversations, and help us continuously evolve the program based on what kids need and enjoy!
Kari Esh
Founder + Program Director
Maria Zapata
Head Coach
Kathy Alpenez
Head Coach
Marta Galvis
Assistant Coach
What We Do
A typical session might include games, movement, art, STEM activities, stories, music, and open-ended play. Children hear and use Spanish throughout the experience, not just during a dedicated lesson. Our goal is to create an environment where language feels useful, engaging, and fun.
Highlights:
- Full Spanish immersion
- Games, art, STEM, music, and movement
- Opportunities to hear and use Spanish throughout the session
- Designed to feel like play, not school
Our Foundational Principles
Everything we do is grounded in research on how children learn language best.
What We Know:
- Language grows through meaningful use, not memorization
- More time hearing/using language = stronger development
- Immersion works because language is learned in context
- Play creates motivation, engagement, and deeper learning
- Relationships and social connection make language meaningful
Our Curriculum
Rather than teaching vocabulary lists or grammar rules, our coaches build sessions around target phrases and themes that naturally invite conversation.
Activities balance structure and intentionally open-ended design, allowing kids at different language levels to participate successfully and stay engaged. Beginners gain exposure and confidence, while more advanced speakers have opportunities to expand their language and communicate more independently.
Our Approach:
- Target phrases woven throughout activities
- Language reinforced through multiple experiences
- Open-ended activities that encourage conversation
- Accessible for a wide range of Spanish abilities
- Flexible enough to meet children where they are
Our Story
Built by Moms, For Kids Who Love to Play
This started with my own kids. They had learned Spanish from their nanny, and once they started school, I wanted to help them keep it alive in a meaningful way. I needed something fun and engaging for them, not online classes, and nothing we tried really stuck.
I work in business development, so I’m naturally organized and used to building systems. I figured it would be easy to gather a few kids, find someone we knew who spoke Spanish, and set up a little play group.
So I started talking to other moms.
Very quickly, I realized this wasn’t just a casual idea. I already knew preschool teachers, Spanish teachers, caregivers, and psychologists who were native Spanish speakers and had real experience working with kids. They could design something intentional that helped children grow their Spanish, while still feeling like play. And they were just as excited.
The challenge was structure. We couldn’t really do this informally. We needed a space, and to have a space you need insurance, and to have insurance you need to be a business.
When we reached out to see if a couple more families might join to help support the cost of a location for our little co-op, we were overwhelmed in the best way. The response made it clear this wasn’t just something our kids needed. It was something our neighborhood needed.
And we had the right people to build it. Our Spanish coaches created a curriculum that blends learning into the experience so naturally kids have no idea they’re learning new vocab and being prompted to speak. And me, I just stay behind the scenes building the structure that holds it all together.
But the most important part is this. It started with moms building something for their own kids, and we want to keep it that way.
If you’re in our LIC community, this is yours. Tell us what works, what doesn’t, what your kids love, and what they’re asking for more of. Because we want to keep shaping it with you ❤️
– Kari Esh, Founder + Program Manager
Spring 2026 - A Small Co-op of Families Working Together
We started as a group of moms looking for an immersive experience where our own kids could continue learning and maintaining Spanish in a way that felt fun and natural: no classes, no computers, no forced-focus after what is already a long school day. When we couldn't find a program, we started a co-op, rotating who would lead games for our 4-6 year olds.
Summer 2026 - Growing Together
With apartments full of toys and plenty of distractions at home, we initially imagined inviting one or two other families to share a rental space and help make it more affordable. But we didn't just find one or two families. There was an overwhelming response! It became clear this wasn’t just a solution for us, but something our LIC community needs, too. We doubled our group size, doubled our number of sessions, and welcomed 4-12 year olds. Now we can't wait for even more kids to join us for one-week Summer Mini Sessions!
Fall 2026 - More Immersion, More Confidence
After a few months of experimenting with activities, gathering feedback from participating families and the broader community, and refining the balance between structured learning and open-ended play, we’re expanding our offerings to include more sessions and greater immersion time. With increased exposure to the language, kids are able to take full advantage of this stage of life, when they are especially primed to absorb new languages with ease!
Stay in the Loop
Stay connected with ¡Eso! Play Lab. We’ll share program updates, enrollment announcements, and opportunities for children to learn and play in Spanish.
By hitting Subscribe, you’re saying yes to receiving periodic updates! Unsubscribe at any time.