LOCAL&STATE

Staunton News Leader - 11/01/2016

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T U E S D AY , N O V E M B E R 1, 2 016 T H E N E W S L E A D E R W W W . N E W S L E A D E R . C O M

PA G E 3 , S E C T I O N A

LAURA PETERS / THE NEWS LEADER

Sisters Hannah Gazmen, left, and Sarah Williams recently opened a new play space where parents and their kids can come, hangout, learn and play together..

Play cafe for parents & kids

Sisters open a business
where families connect
LAURA PETERS
LPETERS@NEWSLEADER.COM

STAUNTON Two Staunton sisters

wanted to provide a space for parents
and children to gather, bond and learn together.
Sarah Williams and Hannah Gazmen
recently opened a play cafe on Augusta
Street near the Terry Court Shopping
Center in Staunton called The PlayGround.
The space offers specifically designed age-appropriate play areas for 0
to 12 months, 2- to 3-year-olds and 4- to
5-year-olds.
Both of us have little ones, Williams
said. We wanted an outlet. The focus is
on education and learning through play.
Many people are familiar with a play
cafe, Williams added.
Many play cafes are coffee shops that
offer large play areas for parents and
their children. This play cafe is entirely
focused on the child, Williams said, with
coffee offered on the side. They have
daily admission rates or monthly memberships. The cafe offers classes
throughout the week and a place where
children can play in a safe environment
with other children their own ages.
Our focus here is the adult interaction with the child, Williams said. We
dont provide any child care.
Williams background is in intelligence and cognitive studies, so shes interested in finding ways to stimulate

young minds.
The play cafe doesnt have any electronic games everything is natural,
which the sisters say promotes a healthy
imagination. Its natural stimulation instead of video stimulation and theres no
wireless internet, Williams said. Its just
a safe and simple environment.
Its making learning fun. Whether
they know it not, theyre learning, Williams said.
The cafe promotes sharing, learning
cognitive skills and fine motor skills. All
the toys will be changed out on a rotation
to keep all the items clean and fresh for
those who come in. They have also come
up with different activities, like learning
trays that allow for hands-on learning.
The two rent the building space and
are funding the venture through personal money and loans.
The cafe also offers a dramatic play
area with a rotating theme, indoor jungle
gym, reading nook and an art corner.
The two sisters have children around
the same age Williams has a two-yearold and Gazmen a one-year-old. They
found that in the colder months, it was
harder to find things to do with smaller
children.
We need adult interaction also, Gazmen said. Its good to find that support
group with other adults who want more
play (time) together.
Its all about the community, Williams added.
The interactive learning tools also allow for preparation into formal education, they said.
This whole space is what you make of
it, Williams said. The socialization as-

LAURA PETERS / THE NEWS LEADER

These are some of the toys found at a new play cafe aimed at parents and their children ages
birth to 5. The PlayGround is on Augusta Street near the Terry Court Shopping Center.

pect is amazing.
They all drive each other, Gazmen
said.
The children who come to the play
cafe work with each other and help each
other grow. The parent community also
allows for a certain camaraderie. The
sisters want to provide a place for parents and children to really revel in those
special moments of growing up that go
by so fast.
Its about catching those little moments and milestones and being able to
capture that, Gazmen said. And its

mostly about support for each other.

The PlayGround also offers rental
space for parties and infant, prenatal,
postnatal, Swedish and deep tissue massages.
Gazmen, who has a background in
massage therapy, said with the infant
massages, she will teach the parent techniques for them to use.
If you have a little one running
around, you need your rest and relaxation, Gazmen said.
Visit The PlayGround Facebook page
or ThePlayGroundVa.com.

Copyright 2016 Staunton News Leader 11/01/2016

November 1, 2016 8:38 am (GMT +4:00)

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