Happy Friday y'all! You may have seen on my Instagram that Kendall and I went to check out the Play Studio Fort Worth right before Thanksgiving! I've been following them on Instagram for awhile and it's been on my to do list to take Kendall there. I had an idea beforehand that Kendall would like it a lot but I didn't know how much she would LOVE it! Keep reading for a special December deal!
Play places have been popping up left and right in Fort Worth (can I get an amen?!) and mommies like me and singing praises for a variety of places to take our rambunctious toddlers! I love having Kendall home with me but since she's not in school yet I feel like she gets easily bored at home. Not to mention all of our pets that are bugging me for attention while I play with her (I live in a zoo!!)... so it's so nice to get out of the house as often as possible. Plus I want Kendall to be around other kids as much as possible! I'm not opposed to school or Mother's Day Out at this age... we just missed the boat on that last year with a lot of things going on. So it makes me feel so good that I have somewhere to take her where she can play with other kids, observe kids of different ages and branch out a little from being a stage 5 clinger to mommy!
I'm loving so many things about Play Studio FW... First of all it was started by and is run by educators and a friendly staff that have experience with young children. The founder Audrey Rowland is a RIE© trained early childhood professional. They are all about open-ended play which basically means that children are just given a variety of materials and objects and allowed to let their imaginations run wild. No TVs, no screen time, no crazy toys with flashing lights and sounds... just simple toys and objects that aren't meant to "entertain" them but allow them to come up with their own scenarios and touch, feel and observe. All parents know that feeling of being on the edge of going insane because you're listening to one toy over and over or multiple toys going off at once and you just can't stand it anymore! There's none of that at Play Studio FW! You can read about their philosophy HERE.
The Play Studio Fort Worth has a room for mobile babies as well as a toddler room. Kendall explored and enjoyed both rooms since it wasn't super busy the day we visited. They offer a variety of toys in each geared towards a child's level of play. The baby room allowed her to climb on low-level platforms and steps and touch objects with varying textures. The toddler room let her run wild with toy cars and trains (wood!), objects such as feathers and acorns and magnifying glasses, a play kitchen and dolls, a coloring station, animals and a dollhouse. There was also a low-level balance beam and other balance toys. I was surprised and delighted at Kendall's interest in the dollhouse! She's been all about the make-believe lately and loves putting dolls in chairs, laying them down to sleep and having conversations back and forth between two figures.
There are multiple stations set up that allow children to hop around to different activities. I really appreciated that staff was interacting with us and cleaning up stations after children moved on... my OCD was delighted that the entire room didn't become a disaster and toys stayed relatively in place! I'm sure on really busy days with more children it gets a little crazier but I was also informed that they don't max out on children occupancy... which means there's a good amount of children playing for Kendall to interact with but not too many that she feels crowded or overwhelmed. I've noticed that Kendall gets a little shy and more observant when there are tons of kids around, so this ended up being perfect for her!
Parents are expected to watch their children and supervise which was very easy because the Play Studio FW is in a modified old house and it's easy to watch from room to room with window cut-outs and open doorways. There's a kitchen with snacks for the kids and coffee on hand for the parents. This allows the playspaces to stay clean because it keeps food and drinks completely separate. I enjoyed some coffee while allowing Kendall to roam freely in the toddler room.
The outdoor play space is one of the biggest sellers for me! Kendall LOVES being outside but our yard isn't the safest for her. It's so nice to be in a large outdoor space with tons of activities, including things like painting which momma doesn't always feel like messing with at home!! She did everything from playing with toy dump trucks to climbing, to shoveling dirt and rocks at the mud station to painting on their giant easel! There's even a craft table and tools for them to explore and we basically ran out of time as lunch and nap time quickly approached. When it was time to leave, Kendall cried and dragged on the floor! I had such a hard time getting her out the door... she had SO much fun!
We will definitely be going back to the Play Studio Fort Worth! I really loved how clean it was, how friendly the staff was and how it let Kendall's imagination run wild! I was impressed by the variety of activities and especially the outdoor space. This is a perfect place to take your child and just drop in for some play, or to schedule a play date with other kids! They also offer their space for parties! You can just schedule a party and play normal or you can also rent out the entire space! The Play Studio also offers education classes to parents led by Audrey Rowland (founder), a RIE© trained early childhood professional.
You can do drop in play with Play Studio which only costs $12, or you can also purchase a play pass (10 plays for $100) for yourself or as a gift! This would make such a great gift with Christmas coming up... either for your own children or for a fellow parent friend. The Play Studio is also running a special for the month of December where Tuesdays are BOGO so you can bring a friend for free! I know I'll be scheduling some play dates with my mommy friends!! Y'all be sure to check them out! Contact info, hours and location can be found HERE.
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