Lucy Wight, who turns 2 in March, drives a toy car at Andrew's Playroom.
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IF YOU GO
Where: 328 N. Olympic Ave., Arlington
When: Parent supervised open play time Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (occasionally closes on Saturdays, so call ahead).
Open Play Admission: Tadpoles (6 to 12 months) $5; Dragonflies (13 months to 8 years) $8.50; siblings $1.50 off dragonfly admission. Three dragonflies or more: $1 off regular open play admission. Adults, and children 5 months and under, are free. Rates are for all day play. No readmission fee for entry on same day.
Ways to Save …
• Punch cards – Tadpole: 10-play pass $40. Dragonfly: 10-play pass $70. Punch cards are good for up to three months and good for Family Night. • Play Passes – Monthly unlimited play pass $35. Sibling monthly unlimited play pass $17.50. Family unlimited monthly play pass $60 (children must be siblings; up to five children can enter with a play pass). Three-month individual unlimited play pass $90. Sibling three-month unlimited play pass $45. Play pass membership benefits include open-play free admission, family night free admission, 10 percent off play party package, half-off-evening combo class. • Coupons – Available at www.andrewsplayroom.com. • Military Discount – 10 percent off dragonfly open-play admission with active, reserved or disabled military identification.
Family Nights: Several Fridays a month 5 to 8 p.m. Bring or order in dinner and relax while the kids play. $5 an hour per child. Other Services: Check out the Web site for information on parent-child combo classes on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. These classes engage kids and parents in a range of activities like reading, dancing, and exercising. Andrew’s is also available for birthday parties.
If you feel like the four walls of your home are closing in on you and your little ones, grab your diaper bag and head to Andrew’s Playroom, which opened in Arlington this past May.
Andrew’s has all the cool toys you wish you could fit in your own home. There are kiddy-sized roller coasters, a toddler-friendly castle bouncy house, a tiny trampoline, a building block area, a pretend kitchen, toy cars, and a playhouse. The list goes on, yet high ceilings and space to run keep the place from feeling crowded.
Do not worry if, in the mad scramble to get out the door, you forget to pack snacks. There are plenty for sale. Do remember to bring socks for yourself and your little ones, though, since adults and kids are required to wear them in the play area.
The Playroom is a cozy space on a rainy dark day. There is a faux flickering fireplace in the reading room and there are twinkle lights and fun lamps that help brighten a dreary Northwest winter afternoon. The owner, Yvonne Van Ornam, made me coffee when I arrived. You can also phone in an order of espresso from George’s Flower Shop across the street and he’ll bring it over for you.
Van Ornam and her husband designed the place with their 2-year-old Andrew in mind, but there are plenty of things to keep kids 6 months to 7 years of age occupied. Andrew’s mom is friendly and loves to interact with the kids. She led her son and two other kids in a game of red light/green light the day I took my 2-year-old daughter, Lucy.
One real plus is that there are no toys with small parts, so parents of little ones who are still exploring with their mouths can actually relax a little. If a toy does get mouthed a bit, Van Ornam just asks that you toss it in the sink when your little one is finished playing with it so that she can disinfect it. Another plus: The play area and bathrooms are kept nice and clean.
The climbing structures are not too high, so I actually felt like I could sit on the couch with my coffee for a few minutes, while my daughter explored. Once the caffeine kicked in, I was ready to play, too.
When some more rambunctious kids arrived, it was nice to be able to retreat to the 24-month-and-under room with my daughter. She rode the roller coaster, and then had fun climbing on the giant foam blocks. Afternoons tend to be busier than mornings. With an average of 12 kids dropping in on any given day, it’s not likely to be too frenetic at any time.
Bring your laptop if you need to get some work done. There is free wireless Internet and spacious tables with grown-up sized chairs. Since kids of any age are allowed, older ones can do homework while their younger siblings play. (There is no charge for kids who are too old to play on the structures.)
Andrew’s is a great place to meet other parents. Its Web site is full of parent meet-up playgroups that are organized by age group or interests (like knitting or bringing up kids in cloth diapers). Van Ornam even arranges Mom’s Nights Out.
It is clear that the owners understand the needs of young families. I liked the children’s boutique in the entry area and was able to buy a birthday present without an extra trip to a store. Andrew’s Playroom is sure to become a favorite oasis for parents and kids.
Laura Spruce Wight is a Bothell freelance writer and mother of two.
