About
K Peas Place is an indoor playground in Tampa dedicated to creating a safe and fun playground for kids and caregivers. Our 3,000 square foot ft facility in the Westchase area of Tampa is an enriching environment to connect, play and celebrate time together.
Focus on Fun
At K Peas Place, the focus is on fun. The activities available at our indoor playground are there for caregivers and kids to engage in fun activities with each other and new found friends. Although fun is the focus, your kids will learn and grow. Developmentally appropriate activities ensure that the fun has a positive impact on growth.
During the first 5 years, kids grow amazingly fast. They learn to communicate, walk, create with their hands, and so much more.
At K Peas Place, we gently guide this process with our activities and interactions with each family.
Welcome to the Family. Get to know us.
Karen Gliddon – Owner and Teacher
Karen Gliddon, also known as Miss Karen, has dedicated her life to the betterment of children and families. She has worked with children with visual impairments and special needs at the Watson Center in Largo, Florida, pediatric oncology patients through the 1 Voice Foundation and The Children’s Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida and hosts weekly community classes offering music enrichment for children ages 0-7 yrs. with their caregivers in Westchase, Oldsmar, Clearwater, Dunedin, Florida, as well as Pinellas and Hillsborough County Libraries and Preschools.
Karen passionately shares her skills to connect, ignite, and engage children with her delightful and charismatic personality. She has a deep understanding of all areas of early childhood development: social, cognitive, physical, and spiritual.
Karen holds a BA in psychology from USF, a CDA certificate from Pinellas Technical College, is Infant & Adult CPR Certified, and an independent Licensed Music with Mar. Instructor. She has her Level 2 Safe Environment Training and Background Check. Karen also is the director of Paul’s Project and the Director of TOTS: Together Oncology Toddlers program under the 1Voice Foundation 501C3, an organization that supports pediatric Oncology families in the Tampa Bay Area.
Miss Karen is the mother of three and is celebrating 23 years of marriage to her best friend and soul mate, Mathew.
MISS KAREN IN THE NEWS
Julie Miller – Speech and Language Development, Ambassador
Hi, I’m Julie Miller, M.A. CCC-SLP.
My background: I received my Bachelor’s Degrees in Psychology and Communication Disorders from the University of Florida. I went on to get my Master’s Degree in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Tennessee.
After graduating, I worked as an Speech-Language Pathologist in Pinellas County Schools for 7 years. I have been working for Stepping Stones Assessment and Therapeutic Services and Early Steps for the past 4 years, focusing on the Birth to 3-year-old age group. I live in Safety Harbor with my husband, 2 daughters, and bulldog.
Erin Hamilton, M.A. BCBA and Founder of ABA Path – Behavior Development Ambassador
My background: I received my master’s degree in Applied Behavior Analysis from the University of South Florida. I have happily worked with children for over 20 years and have worked in the field of behavior analysis for over 17 years. Helping individuals and families is my passion; along with spreading how great ABA can be when applied the correct way.
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is the science of behavior that improves lives. It can be effective for all ages and behaviors. ABA Path’s goal is to incorporate our science in a family-friendly environment where learning is fun!
“K Peas is a thriving environment for any early learner. My family has been going to her classes for several years and I have been impressed by how many behavior approaches she naturally uses. Having structured classes, followed by open play, creates an environment that helps a child grow each class through sensory, social, and language enrichment. Mrs. Karen helps the children in her class by creating a structured routine, clear expectations for the learner, praising positive behavior, and providing additional supports to the little ones who may need it. Her compassion for individuals who might need a little extra help allows all learners in her class to excel. Behavior Q & A will allow families to ask behavior questions for those behaviors you might need some extra help or guidance with.”
Testimonials
“I am honored to be able to come to K Peas Place once a month to share ideas and advice to parents and caregivers who have questions regarding Speech and Language development in their children. K Peas Place provides such a relaxing atmosphere that encourages speech and language in children through play. This is what we want as caregivers – to be able to make speech and language fun through safe and engaging play!
At K Peas Place, children have the opportunity to explore and learn through imaginative play, crafts, gross motor activities, books, and pretend play. All of these elements combined make for the perfect way to build vocabulary skills and socialize with others. I whole-heartedly recommend K Peas Place to my clients and families who are looking for ways to grow their child’s speech and language skills”.
Music with Mar. Classes with Ms. Karen
“I first started coming to Music with Mar classes about 11 years ago with my daughter when she was only about 6 months old. At first, I just thought it was a good way to get out of the house and have somewhere to go each week. This all changed after I experienced the music class. As a Speech-Language Pathologist, I was so impressed with the repetitions of the songs and stories, the consistent routine of the class, and the language-rich activities. All of the play-based activities in each music class incorporates the building blocks to strong speech, language, and motor skills. I went on to take my younger daughter to Karen’s class and she loved it just as much as my oldest. What an amazing program that truly helped me meet other moms during the isolating first parts of motherhood, but it also helped my daughters socially, physically, and cognitively. Now, as I work as an Early Interventionist, I can not recommend Karen’s Music with Mar. class enough to my families.”