That is a question that I have asked very often when I tell people that I own a drama café. I guess that's what happens if you introduce an entirely new idea to your town.
indoor playground equipment [https://www.twitarcade.com] playgrounds have existed for a while, and there are many of these 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 when you don't want them to tear your house apart. They are the places where your kids can run around through mazes, climb ropes, slide down slides and let out all of the mad!
It was really at an indoor park the idea of Chickadee Family Cafe was born in my head. I had taken my then two-and-a-half year old into a popular indoor play space in our hometown Burlington and strove to keep him up as he raced down slides and throughout mazes. I crouched into tiny corners chasing my little man around and came out completely exhausted (proceed, insert jokes about just how out of shape I'm here).
When I arose from the drama arrangements, I looked 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 were not stuck in a maze...'trigger c'mon, we all know no adult wants to have to climb all the way up those arrangements to retrieve a crying kid. Mostly, they looked bored and exhausted. Perhaps their kids awakened at 6am too.
Don't get me wrong, there was plenty of laughter and giggles. I had fun with my son, that had been the major aim of going to the indoor playground, but at 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 connection with my community that I felt was completely overlooked. As a new resident of Burlington I wanted to connect with other parents. But the atmosphere did not actually lend itself to having an actual conversation.
I began to research what else was out there to get some quality mommy -- son time which didn't require me to crawl on my hands and knees and then squeeze my butt through a tunnel fit for a toddler. I discovered play cafes. Play cafes are relatively new to Canada, but are around the UK, Australia and the US for several years. A play café blends the needs of both parents and kids, fueling parents with carbonated drinks while supplying ample play space for kids 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 Caféwe provide that coffee shop atmosphere which you're 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 space is closed along with the kiddos are in bed, our space can easily transform in a day assembly area 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 options or vending machine snacks, a drama 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 regional trendy café.
I expect that helped to clarify the difference between an indoor park and a play café. We can not wait to start our doors and invite you to experience the difference for yourself.