Pediatric Motor Playground, Danville

Occupational therapists Dr. Brian R. Foltz and Ross E. Sato founded Pediatric Motor Playground to help children develop physical and academic skills needed to succeed in school. At centers in Lafayette, Danville, and Redondo Beach the therapists and their team of educational-fitness instructors guide kids through the company's patented Motor Curriculum: 50 straight minutes of activities specifically designed to develop skills such as hand-eye coordination and social interaction. During these sessions, instructors might have kids play basketball, climb on foam-padded gym equipment, exercise with fitness balls, and practice their handwriting.

Dr. Foltz and Mr. Sato aren't comfortable just letting any instructor or animated snowman teach their curriculum. Each educational-fitness instructor completes at least 240 supervised hours of training and must pass both written and physical evaluations.