MIMARU, Japan’s premier apartment hotel brand catering to families and managed by Cosmos Hotel Management Co., Ltd., recently reflected on a special Children’s Day celebration held on May 5 at ANO-NE Kids Club in Tokyo’s Ginza/Yurakucho district. The event provided children from Japan and various countries with an opportunity to connect through interactive play and cultural activities.

A total of 26 children participated in a variety of experiences, including active games, bilingual story sessions, and traditional Japanese craft workshops. The program was designed to give children a welcoming environment to explore and socialize while allowing parents to enjoy personal time around the city. This approach aligns with ANO-NE Kids Club’s mission of enhancing family travel experiences.

The event highlighted how children can build friendships naturally, often without relying on a shared language. Through collaborative activities and play, participants formed connections with ease, a result reflected in the highly positive feedback gathered after the event.

International families make up 51% of ANO-NE Kids Club’s visitors, representing more than 30 countries and regions. Since the club’s launch, staff members have frequently observed children overcoming cultural and linguistic differences through spontaneous interaction. During the Children’s Day event, these connections became particularly evident as children who had just met engaged in teamwork, communication, and shared play.

“Seeing the children interact so naturally reminded me that adults are often more aware of language differences than children are,” said Mao Mochizuki from the Management Planning Office at Cosmos Hotel Management. “Children seem to have an innate ability to connect across borders. Spaces like ANO-NE Kids Club help create opportunities for those meaningful interactions to happen.”

Post-event evaluations revealed an average satisfaction rating of 9 out of 10. Parents also valued the chance to spend time independently, confident that their children were participating in a secure, enjoyable, and enriching environment.

As family travel preferences continue to change, more parents are looking for experiences that balance quality time for both children and adults. According to Mochizuki, the club’s goal is straightforward: “We want parents to fully enjoy moments for themselves during their travels, while children build lasting memories and friendships with peers.”

As more parents reconsider whether conventional schooling still meets the needs of today’s students, one microschool in Palm Beach Gardens is rapidly gaining attention as an innovative educational alternative.

Curious Innovators, a K-8 microschool and learning center based in Palm Beach Gardens, is reshaping the educational experience for modern families. Centered on small class sizes, individualized instruction, adaptable scheduling, and experiential learning, the program is drawing families seeking a more engaging, practical, and forward-thinking option than traditional classrooms typically provide.

For parents frustrated by strict routines, overcrowded classrooms, outdated teaching methods, excessive desk time, and lessons that feel detached from everyday life, Curious Innovators presents a fresh approach.

Rather than focusing solely on memorization and testing, the school encourages students to design, collaborate, innovate, solve problems, lead projects, and apply knowledge in real-world contexts. Its curriculum blends foundational academics with enrichment opportunities including robotics, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, engineering, filmmaking, podcast production, debate, public speaking, entrepreneurship, culinary arts, woodworking, drone design, creative arts, and more.

“At Curious Innovators, our goal is not to fit children into an outdated educational framework,” said Cristina Bedgood, M.Ed., Founder and CEO of Curious Innovators of America. “We create learning experiences around each child’s strengths, interests, pace, and the future they are preparing to enter.”

The school’s expanding popularity reflects a growing demand among parents for alternatives to standardized, one-size-fits-all education. Curious Innovators is built on the idea that every child learns differently and every family has unique needs. To support this, the school offers flexible two-day, three-day, and five-day attendance options, giving families the freedom to select schedules that align with their child’s academic goals and lifestyle.

Its “Education À La Carte” approach allows parents to customize their child’s educational journey through personalized, modular courses tailored to individual strengths, interests, and learning needs. The model prioritizes mastery-based learning, adaptable pacing, practical application, parent collaboration, and curiosity-driven education over traditional seat-time requirements.

Families have responded enthusiastically. One parent described Curious Innovators as a place where children are genuinely “excited to learn,” while another praised the school for offering “the best of both worlds.”

According to the school, that sense of excitement and engagement is often missing from many conventional learning environments.

The campus is intentionally designed to resemble a modern innovation lab rather than a traditional classroom. Students are encouraged to ask questions, experiment with ideas, collaborate on projects, and connect classroom lessons to real-life experiences. From younger students building essential literacy and math foundations to older learners exploring business, leadership, communication, and technology, the program aims to foster both academic growth and practical life skills.

“This goes far beyond academics,” Bedgood explained. “It’s about building confidence, curiosity, creativity, collaboration, and helping children become independent thinkers. When students truly enjoy learning, it transforms everything.”

Another defining feature of Curious Innovators is its emphasis on preserving childhood. The school prioritizes creativity, friendship, exploration, play, reduced stress, and ensuring that every child is recognized as an individual rather than becoming overlooked in a large educational system.

The program is currently accepting enrollments for K-8 students and is eligible for Step Up Scholarships. Families interested in exploring the program are encouraged to arrange a campus tour to experience the learning environment firsthand.

Media Opportunities
Local media representatives are invited to visit the Curious Innovators campus, meet founder Cristina Bedgood, connect with families, and observe students participating in immersive, hands-on activities involving technology, entrepreneurship, STEAM education, creative arts, and project-based learning.