That is a question that I get asked quite often when I tell folks that I have a drama café. "Is that like an indoor play gym with slides and rock climbing structures and trampolines?" 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 lots of of these in our city of Burlington and neighbouring cities of Oakville and Hamilton. They are the places that you take your kids to when they want to burn off their energy if it is too cold outside to visit the playground, or whenever you don't want them to tear your house apart. They are the places where your children can run around through mazes, climb ropes, slide down slides and let out all of the crazy!
It was actually at an indoor park the idea of Chickadee Family Cafe was born within my mind. I'd taken my afterward two-and-a-half year old into a popular indoor play space in our hometown Burlington and tried to keep up with him as he raced down slides and through mazes. I crouched into miniature corners pursuing my little guy around and came out utterly exhausted (go ahead, insert jokes about how out of shape I'm here).
As soon as I arose in the play structures, I looked around me at the other parents. Many were standing around trying to maintain a visual in their own kids' whereabouts. Some were calling their kids' titles, trusting that they weren't stuck in a maze...'cause c'mon, we all know no grownup really wants to need to climb all the way up those structures to retrieve a crying kid. Mostly, they looked bored and exhausted. Perhaps their kids woke up at 6am too.
Don't get me wrong, there was lots of laughter and giggles. I had fun with my son, that was the major aim of visiting the indoor playground, but at a place filled with other moms and dads around my age with children around my son's age, there was a massive opportunity for building relationship with my community that I felt was completely missed. But the air didn't really lend itself to using a real conversation.
I started to research what else was out there to get some quality mommy -- son time that didn't require me to crawl on my hands and knees and squeeze my butt through a tunnel match for a toddler. I found play cafes. Play cafes are comparatively new to Canada, but have been around the united kingdom, Australia and the US for years. A drama café blends the requirements of both parents and children, https://www.arcadeplayground.net fueling parents with caffeinated beverages while providing ample play area for children to explore and have fun.
Play cafes take the community-focused approach of a café and include a play space for children. At Chickadee Family Café, we supply that coffee shop atmosphere that you are utilized to sipping your latte in as well as an enjoyable child-friendly environment full of toys and imaginative based play actions. When the play area is closed along with the kiddos are in bed, our space can quickly transform in a day assembly area for parent workshops, a couples' date night or a meeting location for mompreneurs.
While most indoor playgrounds either do not provide food or serve up fast food options or vending machine snacks, a play café is a full-service café with espresso based drinks and 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 in Chickadee Family Café.
I expect that helped to clarify the difference 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.