That is a question that I get asked quite often when I tell people that I own a play café. "Is that like a indoor play gym with both slips and rock climbing structures and trampolines?" I guess that is what happens when you introduce an entirely new concept to your town.
Indoor playgrounds have been around for a little while, and there are many of them in our town of Burlington and neighbouring cities of Oakville and Hamilton. They are the places that you take your children to when they wish to burn off their energy if it's too cold outside to visit the park, or whenever you don't want them to tear your house apart. They are the places where your kids can run throughout mazes, climb ropes, slide down slides and let out all the mad!
It was actually at an indoor jungle gym (www.twitarcade.com) playground that the idea of Chickadee Family Cafe was born in my head. I'd taken my afterward two-and-a-half year old into a popular indoor play space within our hometown Burlington and tried to keep up with him as he ran down slides and throughout mazes. I crouched into tiny corners chasing my little man around and came out utterly exhausted (go ahead, insert jokes about how out of shape I'm here).
When I arose from the play arrangements, I looked at the other parents. Many were standing around trying to keep a visual in their kids' whereabouts. Some were calling their kids' titles, trusting that they were not stuck in a maze...'cause c am on, we all know no adult wants to have to climb all of the way up those arrangements to regain a crying kid. Mostly, they looked bored and exhausted. Maybe their kids awakened at 6am too.
Don't get me wrong, there was lots of laughter and giggles. I had fun with my son, which was the main aim of visiting the indoor playground, but at a place full of 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 believed was completely overlooked. As a new resident of Burlington I wished to connect with other parents. But the atmosphere didn't really lend itself to using a real conversation.
I began to research what was out there for some superior mother -- son time that didn't need me to crawl on my hands and knees and then squeeze my butt through a tunnel fit for a toddler. I discovered drama cafes. Play cafes are relatively new to Canada, but have been around the united kingdom, Australia and the US for several years. A play café combines the requirements of both parents and kids, fueling parents with carbonated drinks while providing 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 children. In Chickadee Family Café, we supply that coffee shop atmosphere that you're used to sipping your latte in as well as a fun child-friendly environment filled with creative and toys based drama actions. When the play area is closed and the kiddos are in bed, our space can easily transform in a day 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 options or vending machine snacks, a play café is a full sized 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 regional trendy café.
I hope that helped to clarify the difference between an indoor park and a play café.