Protecting Play.
Preserving Childhood Wonder.
Our journey began in 2021, and since then we’ve grown into four locations serving young children and their families. In 2026, we re-centered our program around one commitment: protecting play and preserving childhood wonder.
We saw the push for “early learning” becoming more pressured, more performance-driven, and more focused on what’s next. We chose a different path. We believe childhood matters now, not as a stage of academic preparation, but as a valuable phase of human development that children have a right to. We redesigned our program to reflect that belief.
Early learning matters, but it happens naturally when children are trusted to learn through play, discovery, and real experiences. Inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach, we believe children are capable, competent, and rich in potential.
The Person Behind Edutainment
Edutainment was founded by Oxmara Barrera, whose own childhood was deeply shaped by play. After studying and working in education in different parts of the world, she returned home wanting to create a meaningful early childhood program in the Rio Grande Valley.
The use of space and beauty in children’s environments has always been of particular interest to her. That influence can be seen throughout Edutainment. Her father’s Dulcería San Pedro in Miguel Alemán was reimagined as a play space, while center “campfires” were inspired by her time as a counselor at Morry’s Camp in Glen Spey, New York.
Oxmara studied at Texas A&M International University and participated in exchange programs at Universidad del Bío-Bío in Chile, City University of Hong Kong, and National Chung Cheng University in Taiwan. After teaching preschool in South Korea, she returned to the Rio Grande Valley to start Edutainment.
Her work eventually led her to the Harvard Graduate School of Education, where she pursued a master’s degree in Education Leadership, Organizations, and Entrepreneurship and was selected as one of eight Saul Zaentz Fellows for her work in early childhood education.
At its heart, Edutainment reflects a belief that childhood should be full of play, beautiful spaces, meaningful relationships, and opportunities to explore.
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