My Lileigh Pad — Where Learning Happens Through Play
"A child's brain develops quickly during the first five years, and play is actually learning for a child," said Erin Magallanes, co-owner of My Lileigh Pad sensory, art, and play studio, which opened in Shadelands in February 2025. "It is through undirected play that babies, toddlers, and young children engage and interact in the world around them. They learn by touching, manipulating, pouring, and climbing, and through the freedom of imaginative play. And that's what we do at My Lileigh Pad. We offer busy, inquisitive toddlers the experience of hands-on sensory art and play, without an agenda."
Mary Le (l) and Erin Magallanes (r), co-owners of My Lileigh Pad sensory, art, and play studio in Shadelands.
Located on the ground floor of 190 N. Wiget Lane, My Lileigh Pad is co-owned by Erin and Mary Le, who majored in special education, and who both have extensive experience working with children in educational settings.
“We believe in the power of sensory art and play-based learning to nurture curiosity, creativity, social, and emotional growth in children,” said Erin, who also teaches classes at the Shadelands Art Center, and runs Nature Preschool at Markham Nature Park and Nature Summer Camp at Lafayette Reservoir.
“Sensory play is an important part of a toddler’s development because, at these ages, they’re learning gross and fine motor skills, and they’re doing that by pouring, scooping, and moving materials around,” said Mary. “When they’re molding playdough, they’re working their muscles and bones and learning how to shape with their hands and fingers. When they’re climbing, they’re using their muscles and testing their abilities and learning to trust in themselves.”
Sensory stations filled with beans, rice, beads, colored sand, and sparkly plastic crystals encourage toddlers to grasp, scoop, pour, and measure.
Each class is 75 minutes, with a max of 12 toddlers per class. Classes are offered Monday through Friday, at 9:30am, 11:30am, 2:00pm, and 4:00 pm. An adult must accompany the toddler — moms, dads, grandparents, and nannies are all welcome. Some choose to join in and be a part of their child’s play; others choose to watch their child explore and make decisions on their own.
“There’s nothing planned each day — it’s all free play for the kids to explore on their own, with guidance from the parent,” said Erin, who is completing her early education studies toward preschool teacher certification. “They learn to share with other children, and play independently or bond with others through play.”
Three sensory stations in My Lileigh Pad’s main room change weekly, giving little ones opportunities to work with a variety of shapes, colors, textures, and utensils with every visit.
The studio sports three rooms for sensory play and art projects. The main room is the Sensory Room, the largest of the three, where tables are set up every week with different themes and sensory items. Children scoop dried beans, rice, and colored sand; splash and pour water from one size cup to another; and manipulate playdough, while learning how objects like molds, child-safe scissors and knives, and rolling pins work.
When children are molding playdough, they’re working their muscles and bones and learning how to shape with their hands and fingers,
At the popular water station, toddlers learn the concepts of empty, full, and overflowing; wet and dry; and sinking and floating.
A second space is the Imaginative Play Room with toys, puzzles, foam blocks, a play kitchen, and simple climbing and soft play structures that can be rearranged into a variety of configurations.
Climbing structures offer a variety of benefits for toddlers, from advancing physical development to boosting confidence and social skills.
My Lileigh Pad’s Imaginative Play Room, which is reconfigured regularly, helps toddlers stretch their imagination and express their creativity while developing social and emotional skills, large and fine motor skills, and problem solving skills.
The third room is the Sensory Art Room. Here, Erin and Mary hang a shower curtain, encouraging toddlers to pick up a brush and express themselves through paint. The shower curtain stays up all week, and comes back clean and ready for young artists the next week.
“By Friday, the curtain as a canvas is a true work of art,” said Mary.
The Art Room encourages creative expression, exploration, and just plain fun with colors. The water-based paint makes smocks optional.
“We have crafts every day that go along with the weekly themes, such as butterflies, gardens, dinosaurs, and such. I love seeing how engaged the toddlers are — how much they pick up on their own when given the chance,” said Erin. “This is a true passion for me. I get energy from them, designing projects and play stations based on ideas that come to me from seeing how they explore, test, and discover.”
Classes are booked online, and introductory tours are encouraged for first time parents and toddlers. Parents can register for individual classes as often as they want based on their child’s nap or activity schedule; memberships are available for parents who want a more routine schedule.
My Lileigh Pad also does birthday parties on Saturdays, setting up the rooms for little ones and their guests, with sensory play and art stations and one of the best sensory experiences of all — the birthday cake table!