Business Spotlight: Play Warriors, Inc.

Coping with grief, stress, hospitalizations and serious illnesses can be overwhelming for adults but even more complex for children trying to cope with obstacles in life. Play Warriors, Inc. in Windham helps transform those experiences into supportive, calming and nurturing situations by providing age-appropriate preparation, therapeutic play interventions, and coping strategies with opportunities for self-expression and connection.

Located at 840 Roosevelt Trail, second floor in Windham, Play Warriors was launched in Bridgton in 2019 and relocated to Windham in July. Owned and operated by Kimberly Leighton, MS, CCLS, Play Warriors offers child life therapy, therapeutic play groups and outings, peer support groups, no-cost integrative therapies, legacy items, and monthly CPR/first aid classes.

Kimberly Leighton, left, owns and operates Play Warriors in
Windham, which helps children cope with grief, stress,
hospitalizations and serious illnesses by providing therapeutic
play interventions, coping strategies and many other services. 
SUBMITTED PHOTO  

Child life specialists assess a child’s level of understanding and address any misconceptions, with regard to what they are going through or are about to experience. Leighton states that play is a non-threatening and universal language for children and serves as a tool for building and forging relationships with them, sharing information, and providing opportunities for learning. “When children can begin to understand what is happening to them, it’s less scary.” She works with kids as young as two and into their tween years.

Leighton says she may be the only child life specialist in private practice in Maine. “I opened this business to bring child life therapy to rural Maine to help at-risk families and educate the public about the role of child life in community settings. “I really want to expand child life services in Maine. This summer I had the privilege to supervise four college students from outside the state. In the coming years, I hope to help Maine college students find this rewarding career as I did at the University of Maine Farmington (UMF) 20 years ago.”

"I hold a master’s degree in child life therapy, and an undergraduate degree in early childhood education. Over the past 20 years, my professional journey has been dedicated to serving Maine families,” Leighton said. “I have gained diverse experience, including owning and operating two large childcare centers in Gorham and Portland, teaching pre-K through Grade 3, and working for non-profit organizations supporting vulnerable families. Five years ago, I ventured into private practice to support a determined mom help her daughter's home infusions. McKenzie Barker became the very first play warrior and is now the mascot for the company, appearing in ads and on t-shirts in her Play Warriors superhero costume and pink glasses. Kimberly worked with McKenzie to publish her very own book, “I Am a Pompe Warrior” about her life with Infantile Pompe Disease, soon to be available on Amazon.

Leighton said the best thing about her job are the families that she works with. “I’m passionate about what I do and believe in helping people and taking the time to listen. Watching them get back on their feet brings tremendous joy to my life as well.” Leighton said.

She said that her late husband, Dr. Peter Leighton, a local addiction medicine physician, encouraged her to open Play Warriors. “He was my biggest supporter. A year after opening the business and right at the onset of the Covid pandemic, his brain cancer returned and he passed away only one year later,” Leighton said. “During this time, our community supported our children in so many ways. It is my hope to give back to others what we have received.

Now, three years later, Kimberly is inspired to help widows with widow coaching, and she is a newly certified grief yoga teacher. When Kim isn’t at Play Warriors, she works part-time as a child life specialist at the MaineHealth Bleeding Disorders clinic and owns and operates a short-term rental company, Boho Ridge, Inc. “I like to stay busy. That is a coping skill that I’m working on!”

Pricing for Play Warriors is similar to that of counselors and other practitioners with a master’s degree. Some services are reimbursable for children in foster care placement, and free for children in treatment for cancer and their siblings with help from a partnering non-profit, Lucy’s Love Bus, Kimberly hopes to transition Play Warriors into a non-profit organization within the next few years. “I would love all of the services to be free for all families.” Play Warriors is hoping that as the word gets out about the new location, other practitioners and volunteers join them in providing more pediatric therapeutic services, integrative offerings, classes, workshops, meal trains and more.

Testimonials posted on the Play Warriors website are exceptional. For more details, call 207-387-7366 or visit www.playwarriorsinc.com. Find them on Facebook and Instagram. <