This is a question that I have asked very often when I tell folks that I own a drama café. "Is that like a indoor play gym with slides and rock climbing structures and trampolines?" I guess that's what happens when you introduce a totally new idea to your city.
Indoor playgrounds have existed for a little while, and there are many of these in our city of Burlington and neighbouring cities of Oakville and Hamilton. They're the places you take your children to when they want to burn off their energy if it's too cold out to go to the playground, or when you don't want them to tear your house apart. They're the places where your children can run throughout mazes, climb ropes, and slide down slides and let out all of the crazy!
It was really at an indoor playground that the idea of Chickadee Family Cafe was born within my head. I'd taken my afterward two-and-a-half year old into a popular indoor play space within our hometown Burlington and strove to keep up with him as he ran down slides and through mazes. I crouched into tiny corners pursuing my little man around and came out completely exhausted (proceed, insert jokes about just how out of shape I'm here).
When I emerged in the play structures, I looked at the other parents. Many were standing about trying to keep a visual in their own kids' whereabouts. Some were calling their kids' titles, hoping that they were not stuck in a maze...'cause c'mon, most of us know no grownup wants to have to climb all the way up those arrangements to regain a crying child. Mostly, they looked exhausted and tired. Maybe their kids awakened at 6am too.
I had fun with my son, that had been the main aim of going to the indoor playground, but in a place full of other moms and dads around my age with kids around my son's age, there was a huge opportunity for building relationship with my community that I felt was completely missed. As a new resident of Burlington I wished to connect with other parents. However, the air did not really lend itself to having a real conversation.
I began to research what was out there to get a few superior mommy -- son time that didn't need me to crawl on my hands and knees and then squeeze my butt through a tunnel match for a toddler. I discovered drama cafes. Play cafes are relatively new to Canada, but have been around the UK, Australia and the US for several years. A play café combines the requirements of both parents and kids, fueling parents with carbonated drinks while supplying ample play area for children to explore and have fun.
Play cafes accept the community-focused approach of a café and incorporate a play area for kids. In Chickadee Family Caféwe supply that coffee shop atmosphere that you're utilized to sipping your latte in as well as an enjoyable child-friendly environment full of toys and imaginative based drama activities. Once the play space is closed and the kiddos are in bed, our distance can quickly transform in an evening meeting area for parent workshops, a couples' date night or a meeting location for mompreneurs.
While most indoor playgrounds either do not offer food or function up fast food choices or vending machine snacks, a play café is a full sized café with espresso based beverages and https://www.arcadereview.org a hearty menu of healthy snacks and lunch items.
A play café is a bridge between a historical years' centre and your regional trendy café. Most play cafes provide parent and child classes and parenting supports through workshops and support groups, many things you can look forward to in Chickadee Family Café.
I hope that helped to clarify the gap between an indoor playground and a play café. We can't wait to open our doors and invite you to experience the difference for yourself.