This is a question that I get asked very often when I tell folks that I have a play café. I guess that's what happens when you introduce an entirely new idea to your town.
Indoor playgrounds have been around for a while, and there are many of them in our city of Burlington and neighbouring cities of Oakville and Hamilton. They are the places you take your kids to when they wish to burn off their energy if it's too cold out to go to the playground, or whenever you don't want them to tear your house apart. They're the places where your kids can run throughout mazes, climb ropes, slide down slides and let out all of the mad!
It was actually at an indoor playground that the idea of Chickadee Family Cafe was born in my mind. I had taken my afterward two-and-a-half year old into a popular indoor play area in our hometown Burlington and tried to keep him up as he ran down slides and through mazes. I crouched into miniature corners pursuing my little guy around and came out utterly exhausted (proceed, insert jokes about how out of shape I'm here).
When I emerged from the play arrangements, I looked at the other parents. Many were standing around trying to maintain a visual in their kids' whereabouts. Some were phoning their kids' names, trusting that they were not stuck in a maze...'cause c'mon, most of us know no grownup wants to need to climb all of the way up those structures to regain a crying kid. Mostly, they looked bored and exhausted. Perhaps their kids woke up at 6am too.
Do not get me wrong, there was plenty of laughter and giggles. I had fun with my son, that had been the major aim of visiting 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 believed was completely missed. As a new resident of Burlington I wished to connect with other parents. However, the atmosphere did not really lend itself to using a real conversation.
I began to research what was out there for a few quality mother -- son time that didn't need me to crawl on my hands and knees and squeeze my butt through a tunnel match for a toddler. I found drama cafes. Play cafes are comparatively new to Canada, but have been around the UK, Australia and the US for several years. A play café blends the requirements of both parents and children, fueling parents with carbonated drinks while supplying ample play space for children to explore and have fun.
Play cafes take the community-focused way of a café and incorporate a play area for kids. At Chickadee Family Café, we provide that coffee shop atmosphere that you are utilized to sipping your latte in as well as a fun child-friendly environment full of creative and toys based drama activities. Once the play area is closed and the kiddos are in bed, our distance can quickly transform in an evening meeting space for parent workshops, a couples' date night or a meeting place for mompreneurs.
While most indoor playgrounds either don't offer food or function up fast food choices or vending machine snacks, a drama café is a full-service café with espresso based beverages along with a hearty menu of healthy snacks and lunch items.
A drama café is a bridge between a historical years' centre and your local trendy café. Most play cafes provide child and parent classes and parenting supports through workshops and support groups, many things you can look forward to at Chickadee Family Café.
I expect that helped to clarify the gap between an indoor playground equipment playground and a play café. We can't wait to start our doors and invite you to experience the difference for yourself.