BUILDville
play. explore. learn.
BUILDville is a hands-on, imaginative play experience designed to help Tulsa-area children ages 3–8 learn life skills in a fun, supportive environment. Created by Building All Children, BUILDville offers social playgroups and field trips where families can explore real-life scenarios—like ordering at a restaurant or visiting a church—through pretend play.
Children and their caregivers step into a kid-sized town to shop for groceries, fix cars, care for animals, clean up their town, and much more. These playful experiences are designed to support child development, build communication and social-emotional skills, and create joyful family memories.
BUILDville is located at:
Building All Children
6910 S. 101st East Ave., Tulsa, OK 74133
Upcoming BUILDville Social Playgroups:
Click a date to register your child and join us for a one-hour play-based learning session:
Questions or need help registering? Contact us at BUILDville@buildingallchildren.org.
BUILDville Field Trips & Curriculum
Teachers and schools are invited to bring classrooms to BUILDville for interactive, educational field trips. Our state-aligned curriculum supports early childhood learning objectives through role-play and hands-on activities.
Email BUILDville@buildingallchildren.org to request a sample of the Oklahoma State Standardized BUILDville Curriculum.
Explore BUILDville: Interactive Play Stations
Each BUILDville location features themed play spaces designed to encourage exploration, creativity, and learning:
Henry’s Hardware Store
Children role-play as helpful employees, assist customers, build with foam bricks, and use fine motor tools. This space promotes problem-solving, teamwork, and cognitive development.
At Henry’s Hardware Store the children will role play and welcome customers into the store, The children will help the “pretend customer” find what they need and develop cognitive skills by building with foam bricks and blocks. These skills help the children learn to problem solve, work together, communicate and BUILD many skills. In Henry’s Hardware Store there are several fine motor tasks that help strengthen writing skills and helps develop focus skills.
BUILD Church
Practice whisper voices, sit quietly, play the piano, sequence Bible stories with felt boards, or speak at the pulpit. This station encourages listening, expression, and respect for sacred spaces.
The BUILD Church is a part of the BUILDville community where children learn to use a whisper voice and sit quietly. The children can play the piano, sequencing stories on the felt board and even sing a song. Children will BUILD the skills to speak in front of people at the pulpit and discuss how the church helps a community.
Anna’s Animal Hospital
Care for pets by feeding, grooming, or bandaging them. Children wear vet coats, use pretend medical tools, and build empathy while learning about animal care.
Providing care for animals helps children learn to take care of animals and develop empathy. Empathy has to be taught and it is our desire for children to step into Anna’s Animal Hospital and help take care of the animals that are sick, need fed, or even groomed. Grab a Vet coat and help keep the animals healthy. The children will learn how to take the animals by taking their temperature, give them medication, and even wrapping up a broken bone. There is an examination table where small pretend surgeries happen. Come join the animal hospital where great care is provided.
DX Service Station
Fix broken-down cars, pump gas, or buy new tires. This station fosters logical thinking, simple math skills, and role-playing communication.
Did the car break down? Thinking and problem-solving skills are developed when trying to solve a problem such as fixing the car. Take it to DX Service Station and let your little one repair it and fill it up with gas. The DX Service Station also sells tires, and it not only helps the children learn to communicate their needs, but it also helps develop simple math skills and small, medium, and large quantities. You may want to drive to Dexter’s afterwards for lunch!
Dexter’s Diner
Learn restaurant manners by ordering food, preparing meals, and having polite conversations. Don’t forget to visit the drive-thru!
It’s lunch time! At Dexter’s Diner the children can take turns working through the different steps involved in going to a restaurant: ordering lunch, cooking the food, having a dinner time conversation and cleaning up. We love for children to come in and sit at the red booth, but we don’t want you to forget the Drive Thru!
Gus’ Grocery Market
Scan groceries, push a cart, count items, and role-play as a shopper or store clerk. This play space helps build early math, literacy, and social interaction skills.
Gus’ Grocery allows your child to explore adult roles and practice social skills. Together you can shop for and purchase groceries, pretend to pay and say thank you. As the employee, it’s time to assist the customer, sell the groceries, and organize the merchandise. Gus’s Grocery Market has a real grocery scanner and a cash register to help checkout the cutomer’s. The shopping carts allow for the children to have the full shopping experience.
Izzy’s Ice Cream Truck
Take and deliver ice cream orders, answer phone calls, and practice conversational turn-taking at the register. Children can also drive the truck around BUILDville!
Everyone loves an Ice Cream Truck! Develop conversation skills as you and your child take specific orders and sell and buy ice cream. The children can pretend to answer the phone and take call-in orders. They also learn the skills to check out their customers with a pink cash register. Watch out for the children when pretending to drive the ice cream truck through BUILDville.
Community Helpers in BUILDville
The BUILDville Mailman delivers and collects pretend mail across the town. BUILDville Janitorial Services keeps everything clean and tidy. These vital roles teach children about responsibility and how every job contributes to a community.
BUILDville Mayor (Ages 8–11)
Older children can apply to be the BUILDville Mayor, helping lead younger kids during playgroups. This is a great leadership opportunity that builds confidence and communication skills.
Sponsor a BUILDville Playgroup
Want to support BUILDville? You or your business can sponsor a playgroup! Sponsors are recognized on social media and event announcements.
Contact BUILDville@buildingallchildren.org to choose a month to sponsor.
BUILDville Photo Gallery
