Tiny Play Café — Local services in Columbia Township

I love this place so much.

I work from home part-time, with my kiddos with me all the time.

There are some days (like today) we go to the Play Cafe because I need to get some work done in the morning without so many interruptions. I can just release them into the play area, and they're perfectly content for two whole hours. I can see and hear them playing the whole time, but it never gets too loud or crazy that I can't focus on work.

We've also gone for playdates and birthday parties. When extended family comes to visit, we bring them here to play with the kids (as opposed to other local kids' attractions like Tiger Bounce or Bonkers – which are also awesome, but too much energy for some of our older folks to enjoy with the kids).

I've used the Play Cafe for a "screen time detox" before – when we got a little too much in the habit of having screens all day, and weaning them off was causing friction at home. Two full days at the Play Cafe and it's like they remembered how to play again! LOL

I take them when they need some one-on-one time/connection with me. I've gone because I just want to have a conversation with another adult (because the other mom guests there have always been kind, too). I've gone when I'm just exhausted, because I can just sit on one of the sofas while they play.

I love this place.

The coffee is great. I recommend their caramel macchiato.

The owner is an amazing person, someone worth supporting. The staff is always kind.

The membership is worth it. You always have a place to take them that isn't over-stimulating, that they won't crash out when you leave. When it's too hot or too cold for the park, you can go there. When you want to avoid the places that you’ll spend extra money (like the mall, McD or BK play places, etc.), you can go there. When you want to catch up with fellow mom friends and not get split up every couple of minutes, you can go there. The list goes on.

10/10 highly recommend from a...

AMAZING space and people! There's a smaller under 2 area with mats, a small ball pit, a slide, and lap-level toys. The rest of the area (which also works for kids who can walk, they don't need to be over 2 for the rest of the space) is like one block of a town! Grocery store, post office, bank, vet, house (with wooden washer and dryer), construction company, campsite, etc. Also a dress up station, an ice cream cart, a doctor's clinic area, a table with blocks in it, a table with trains, toys on the walls, things to add to the floor, vehicles.... everything my toddler could possibly want.

What I love most is the thoughtfulness of the space - there are a lot of toys, but they are spaced out enough that even my shy kiddo does not feel crowded, there's sanitizer at the door and check in, there are quiet toys kids can distract themselves with around the shoe area while you pack up to head out, there's quiet music that you only hear in a specific area; and the atmosphere - the layout makes it easy to keep eyes on your kid(s) and step back in if needed while getting a coffee or checking an email. The parents and kids we've met there so far have been wonderful.

The cafe has amazing coffee and kid-friendly snacks, even the bathrooms were designed with kids in mind - quiet, stool and diaper bin in each, kids' toilet seat that folds down built in, etc. The staff are super friendly, kind, and calm.

This place is so welcoming without being in your face. Just a really great place to play and learn for both kids and the adults that are with them! Lifesaver on super hot days, rainy days, and...

Attended as a guest for birthday party for our first time here. My kiddo, who is on the spectrum, had a blast. The facility is clean, not too loud, has been well-maintained.

Update: We attended our first “open play.” Found it way too overwhelming (loud and a bit crowded) with 25+ kids. There were a handful of “big kids” that were pretty hyper (no judgement) that kept running over / bumping into to the younger ones and took toys right out my kiddo’s hands. I recognize the children’s play is supposed to be supervised by parents, but not all parents are involved with how their kids play. My child chose to sit out and we left early after attempting a 10 minute “social break.”

In attempt to help problem solve, I emailed a suggestion to the facility to host age-specific slots (I.e. infants, pre-k, k-2, 3rd grade +) as well as sensory-friendly days at half capacity once in a while. I truly hope they will implement these suggestions or something similar. Until then, I do not believe this environment is one I want to bring my child back to. For families with neurotypical children, these things might not...