Akron Life April 2022

EDUCATION

CAFE O’PLAY

John Green, owner of Cafe O’Play, says when they were putting together their busi ness plan, they talked to 10 sets of parents for input. What was the most common response? They wanted a play area where their kids could be physically active. The concept behind Cafe O’Play is two-fold: There’s a nice coffee house space and an active indoor playground area adjacent to the cafe. “We really zeroed in on the idea of unstructured, physi cal, active, imaginative play,” Green says, “and that’s what kids do here.” In the cafe, the menus are geared towards adults and kids. “Moms make up about 70 percent of our parent busi ness,” says Green. “So we have a menu that is really healthy, with some great salads. We have some grownup plates, like a Mediterranean plate and a cheese plate, which are really popular. But we do have things that kids enjoy as well. Right below the counter is a kids’ menu. We do what’s called a Kid Tin. It’s a muf fin tin and kids can pick out six different items to put in

it. They can pick salami and crackers, goldfish and grapes and so on. Last year we sold 17,000 Kid Tins.” The play area, which is approximately 5,000 square feet, features toddler-specific zones for children up to 36 months. There are cushions, ramps, toys and a small climbing structure for tod dlers. Older kids get to play on a massive climbing struc ture that is built with a series of colorful tubes, slides, obsta cle courses, ramps and stairs. Another fun and educational attraction is an “EyePlay” interactive floor. The system was developed by Eye Click Industries and features a nearly unlimited amount of games projected onto an 8-foot-by-12-foot white floor. The games can be changed based on the age group. Parents can register online for open play times and special events such as book readings and magic shows. Green says capacity is still limited, but this may change as restrictions ease. There are also automated wash stations in place. You can reserve space on Cafe O’Play’s website. cafeoplay.com

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