Our Amazing Team
Passionate & Experienced Educators
Founder
Doreen Perreault
Doreen lives in Andover with her husband Craig. She is a proud mother of three amazing adult children, Kristi, Shelby and Koby as well as a fur mom to Otis, Luna, and Frankie.
Doreen’s career started back in high school when she worked in a child care program. She knew early on that she would spend her days with children and has remained in the early childhood field for over 30 years. Much of her experience has been working in non-profit organizations with children of all ages.
In early 2011 the opportunity to open Imagination Inn came to life and in July of 2011, Imagination Inn was created. Doreen and her family spent the summer cleaning, watching a handful of little ones and preparing for the first school year. In the blink of an eye enrollment grew and Imagination Inn was at full capacity by the fall of 2011.
The Inn is truly a family affair. You will often see Mr. Craig around, helping and keeping things in order. Daughter Shelby has spent summers teaching at Imagination Inn and completed her Masters in Special Education in June of 2020. Koby studied Computer Gaming and Design at SNHU and enjoys sharing his love for trains with our little ones. Between her international travels, Kristi is often behind the scenes keeping our technology on track.
As we approach our 14th year here in Andover, we feel incredibly blessed. The opportunity to become just this small part of so many children’s lives has left a heart full of love and an overwhelming feeling of gratitude.
We believe in providing a warm, loving, home away from home atmosphere. With our amazing staff of caring and kind teachers, we accomplish that and so much more each day.
Director
Crystal Carleton
Crystal lives in Andover with her husband, boys and Great Danes named Mia and Jessie. Wyatt attends Merrimack Valley High School and Jake attends AEMS here in Andover.
In addition to spending time with her family, Crystal enjoys camping, reading and spending warm summer days at the beach.
Crystal joined Imagination Inn in the summer of 2016 as our Terrific Tiger Lead Teacher. She earned her Associates Degree in Early Childhood Education from NHTI and in the spring of 2019 in addition to being the Terrific Tiger teacher, she became the Director. Working closely with the owner Doreen, together they are proud to offer an amazing, creative and caring hands on Early Enrichment Program.
Crystal has a wonderful insight into Early Childhood and brings a strong understanding of Developmentally Appropriate Practices to the classroom. She is quick to greet each child with a smile and hug each day. Her love for science exploration and open ended opportunities are abound! Children can often be seen mixing up concoctions in the water table, using ice and vinegar to create a fizzle or mixing up some colorful slime. The classroom is always buzzing with endless opportunities to create, explore and experiment.
Karyn Farrington
Karyn and Owner Doreen met back in 1996 when they worked together in a previous program. Their paths continued to cross and Karyn was excited when the opportunity came to join the Inn in July of 2011.
Karyn has 40 years experience in education and has been instrumental in the success of Imagination Inn.
Karyn’s expertise is extensive and enjoys working with children of all ages. Her love for children is apparent from the moment you meet her.
Karyn has wonderful insight and knowledge in Developmentally Appropriate Practices, toilet training and helping children develop positive social and emotional skills. Karyn is there daily each morning to greet your child and can often be found puttering around as the Inn closes each night.
There is not a memory of an event or time at the Inn that does not include Karyn. We are incredibly grateful to have her part of our Inn family and look forward to making many more memories in the years ahead.
Amber Meier
Amber joined Imagination Inn in the fall of 2017 as a Teaching Assistant in our Bouncy Bear Classroom. Amber quickly realized that she had a love for Early Childhood and our youngest children and decided to pursue her degree in Early Childhood Education.
Amber received her Early Childhood Education Certificate from NHTI.
Amber lives in Andover with her husband Brandon and her daughter Autumn Lynn. Amber is a huge Disney fan and can often be found humming one of their magical tunes.
Amber understands the importance of providing a home away from home atmosphere and strives to provide only exceptional care for our little ones.
Vanessa Welch
Vanessa lives in Andover with her husband, Matt, and their 3 girls - Tia, Ellie and Charlie. She attended college at NHTI and received her associates degree in Early Childhood Education with a focus on infants and toddlers.After working in the field for many years, she decided to go back to school to get her Bachelor's degree from Granite State College. She has been working in childcare since 1994 and has worked with children ages infant to school age and everything in between - including 6 years as a director. she absolutely loves working with toddlers.
When she isn't at Imagination Inn, you can find her crafting, reading, baking, or attending various sporting events that her girls are involved in - including Special Olympics. She loves spending time with her family, iced coffee, and anything caramel!
Jordan Mills
Jordan joined the Imagination Inn family in the summer of 2024. She lives in New London with her fiance and their cat and dog babies, Dolly and Willow.
For as long as she can remember, Jordan knew she wanted to work with children. Her very first job was in childcare and continued for many, many years with all ages. She attended Simmons College in Boston and received a degree in Early Childhood Education and Psychology. Since then, Jordan has worked in several pre-school settings, as well as contributing to her family's local business.
When she isn't at Imagination Inn, Jordan enjoys spending time with family and friends, reading, cooking, and enjoying the outdoors - hiking and skiing!
Jordan truly enjoys her role as an educator and care giver and looks forward to continuing the learning, exploring, and growth of the little ones she gets to enjoy each day!
