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 both slips and rock climbing structures and trampolines?" I guess that's what happens when you introduce an entirely new concept to your city.
Indoor playgrounds have existed for a while, and there are many of them in our city of Burlington and neighbouring cities of Oakville and Hamilton. They're the places you take your kids to when they wish to burn off their energy when it's too cold out to go to the park, or whenever you do not need 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 the crazy!
It was actually at an indoor park the notion of Chickadee Family Cafe was born within my head. I had taken my afterward two-and-a-half year old to a favorite indoor play area within our hometown Burlington and tried to keep him up as he raced down slides and through mazes. I crouched into miniature corners chasing my little guy around and came out utterly exhausted (go ahead, insert jokes about just how out of shape I am here).
As soon as I emerged from the drama arrangements, I looked around me at the other parents. Many were standing around trying to maintain a visual on their kids' whereabouts. Some were calling their kids' titles, hoping that they were not stuck in a maze...'cause c am on, we all know no adult wants to need to climb all the way up those structures to retrieve a crying child. Mostly, they looked bored and exhausted. Perhaps their children awakened at 6am too.
I had fun with my son, which had been the main 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 massive chance for building relationship with my community that I felt was completely missed. However, the atmosphere didn't really lend itself to having a real conversation.
I started to research what was out there to get a few quality mommy -- son time which didn't require me to crawl on my hands and knees and squeeze my butt through a tunnel fit for a toddler. I found drama cafes. Play cafes are comparatively new to Canada, but are around the UK, Australia and the US for years. A play café blends the requirements of both parents and children, fueling parents with caffeinated beverages while supplying ample play area for kids to explore and have fun.
Play cafes accept the community-focused approach of a café and incorporate a play area for children. At Chickadee Family Caféwe supply that coffee shop atmosphere which you are used to sipping your latte in as well as a fun child-friendly environment filled with creative and toys based drama activities. When the play space is closed and 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 jungle gym equipment playgrounds either do not offer food or function up fast food choices or vending machine snacks, a play 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 regional trendy café. Most play cafes provide child and parent classes and parenting supports through workshops and support groups, many things you can anticipate in Chickadee Family Café.
I hope that helped to explain the difference between an indoor playground and a drama café.