Phoenixville Chamber Spotlight: Magic Memories

As soon as Jennifer Slavin enters the room, the “threes” come running over.

“Watch me! Watch me!” a little girl yells, as she crouches down and then jumps up.

Another child, working to put careful finishing touches on an art project, holds it up between both hands, proudly showing it off to Slavin.

Many stop to get a hug as Slavin, director at Magic Memories Child Development Center in Phoenixville, stoops down to eye level with the energetic kids.

Downstairs in the kitchen, fresh basil, grown by the kids at Magic Memories, sits, ready to be made into pesto for the day’s lunch.

The atmosphere is colorful, immaculately clean and full of energy.

“The children are excited to come to school,” Slavin said in an interview with Patch. “Just the other day one of the moms was saying how it was Saturday and her daughter wanted to come into school.”

For Neydary Zambrano, president of Magic Memories, the center has been a huge part of her own kids’ lives. After seeking out quality childcare for her then 4-year-old daughter and the baby on the way, Zambrano decided to purchase Magic Memories. The center, located on Valley Forge Road, has been in the community for nearly 20 years.

“I purchased it on March 1 [in 2006], and on March 8, I gave birth to my second child, my son, so this is all he’s known so far,” Zambrano said. 

Over the last five years, new programs, like a summer camp and a before-and-after-school program, have been added at Magic Memories. The center calls a converted residence home, and every space is carefully used. Upstairs, an old—and very heavy—bathtub remains, covered with a pad so the kids can use it as a window seat. Some days, staff members fill the tub with balls and the kids can jump in and play.

Even though programs have been added, the center stays small, giving it a home-like feel, according to Zambrano.

“We like to get to know our families and our parents and give them that one-on-one attention,” she said. “And we also have the small classrooms. We have very highly qualified teachers, and we also have a great lunch program.”

Most kids come from the Phoenixville area, where Zambrano, a native of Venezuela, calls home now.

“I love the sense of community,” she said. “For me, Phoenixville offers more of a family-oriented community, and I love how people put themselves together for other people in the community. I really love being here and having my kids grow here.”

To bring its own little community together, each year before the new school year starts, the Magic Memories staff plays host to a carnival for parents of students—past and present.

“It’s mainly just a really a great reunion for all the parents to kind of spend some time together,” Slavin said. “It just has a backyard cookout kind of feel to it.”

At the carnival, kids can slurp Sno Cones, jump around in a moon bounce, play games and walk away with prizes. This year’s carnival is set for Aug. 25.

For more information on Magic Memories Child Development Center, visit the center’s website. Magic Memories is located at 897 Valley Forge Rd., Phoenixville.