We’re all familiar with the proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child.” But it’s hard to live that adage when there isn’t a village square. If there isn’t a place for caregivers to gather with their kids and get to know each other, to let the kids play, for adults to share advice and responsibilities, the maxim is little more than a bumper sticker.
Enter Woodland Play Cafe. Opened earlier this month in the former home of East Nashville bar The Crying Wolf, Woodland Play is designed to help villagers get together.
Brittney Farrow, a mother of two, had a vision of a place where caregivers could get together and let their kids play in a safe environment while grown-ups talked, drank coffee and maybe checked some emails. There are other play cafes in the suburbs — such as Nido in Mt. Juliet — and other cities, but there aren’t any in East Nashville. (Farrow used to live in East Nashville, though she and her family now live in Madison.) Farrow started dreaming about creating the kind of space she as a mother would use, and she as an entrepreneur wanted to build.
Farrow’s research showed that parents don’t want to drive more than 20 minutes to get to a play cafe, so she wanted to put hers in a neighborhood where families live. At one point, she almost gave up, having not been able to find commercial property that she could afford with landlords who were interested. “They would say, ‘We don’t want a day care here,’” Farrow tells the Scene. “They were not even listening.” But once she found building owner Adam Leibowitz, who has been her advocate as well as her landlord, she was ready to get to village-building.
In some ways, it’s easier to explain what Woodland Play Cafe is not. It’s not Chuck E. Cheese. There are no animatronics, no primary colors, no feeling that you need to walk through a shower of disinfectant when you leave. It’s not a day care either — it’s not somewhere for parents or nannies to drop kids off.
Woodland Play Cafe is the third place for parents and their kids. Farrow’s children — 7-year-old Smith and 4-year-old Emilia — helped her develop the idea, as did her professional background in event planning.
There’s Wi-Fi for parents whose kids are old enough to play on the custom play structure on their own. And because there will be six to eight parents in one relatively small space, it’s not designed as a place to take a phone or video call — it’s instead intended for quicker tasks like checking email before parents return to playing with kids and chatting with other parents and caregivers.
The business model is intended for memberships (between $139 and $219 per month), which allow two hours per day for each kid in the family, plus discounts on classes, priority booking and some free coffee and pastries. Farrow says most kids have about a two-hour limit for a play experience (less for younger kids), so having the membership plan makes it easier for a family to visit several times per week for a short period. The cafe is open Monday through Saturday, with extended hours on Thursdays. Farrow is open to feedback from customers about what hours will work best for neighborhood families.
Memberships and pricing are based on kids — not adults — so the nanny can bring a kid one day, and Dad can come the next using the same membership.
Reservations are recommended, as capacity is limited to 25 kids so that it never feels overwhelming or too crowded. Non-members (or folks who want to just check it out) can book a two-hour session for $27 for a parent and child, and $20 for each additional sibling. Farrow also hopes families traveling to Nashville will take advantage of the opportunity to play together in the neighborhood before or after exploring other kid-friendly attractions.
Farrow collaborated with Jade Hartley of Jade Amber Studio, an interior architectural design firm, to create play structures and spaces that were both fun and safe for children, while also appealing to adults. Hartley was able to offer solutions that she might not be able to give in a more traditional hospitality space. For example, in the classroom area, walls could not touch the ceiling due to HVAC constraints — so the walls come up to a point, making the space “look like a cute little house,” she says.
Woodland Play Cafe is rooted in Montessori philosophy — an approach in which kids are encouraged to learn at their own pace. Farrow’s mother-in-law Linda was a Montessori teacher, and the element of encouraging kids to explore their imagination was a guiding factor in Hartley’s design. The aesthetic includes blond wood and pastel colors. Initially, Farrow wanted to have Legos, but she found their bright colors didn’t work with the vibe. Then the team found wooden Legos that offered the opportunity for creative play and fit with the relaxing aesthetic.
“I really want to foster independence in this space,” Farrow says.
There are doorways that are adult-size and others scaled for “littles.” The same applies to toilets and hand-washing stations. “It makes them feel included in the space,” Hartley says. The space is fully ADA accessible and has play areas and toys intended for kids with a variety of interests and sensibilities.
In less than 3,000 square feet, Woodland Play Cafe has play areas, the classroom, the adult hangout space and the small cafe, plus an enclosed patio with a large garage door in the works. The building design makes it possible for parents to sit outside and be able to see and supervise kids who are playing inside. There’s currently a pretend grocery store space, but Hartley says that may change in the future — the play cafe is an “ever-developing project” intended to stay fresh for the team, the parents and the kids.
While the entrance to Woodland Play Cafe is located on South Ninth Street, its name originates from the building’s street address, 823 Woodland St. Farrow leaned into it, incorporating a woodland theme with woodland creatures like a fox featured in some of the graphics.
The team is making most of the small (nut-free) food menu, including Bento box-style options designed for kids. (Think fancy, build-your-own Lunchables.) There are specialty drinks and popsicles and a rotating menu of pastries provided by different East Nashville cottage bakers. The staff is experienced working with food, coffee and kids. Farrow is developing a schedule around which parents can plan. For example, one day will be the water-play day (outside on a soon-to-open patio) and others will be music days (in conjunction with neighbor Tenn Little Birds).
After years of thinking and planning and building, Farrow quit her job earlier this year to devote herself full time to Woodland Play Cafe and its village. She hopes to eventually expand to other Nashville neighborhoods too.
“This is a place where moms want to go,” Farrow says. “No mom wakes up in the morning and says, ‘Man, I can’t wait to go to Chuck E. Cheese.’ But you do, because that’s where your kids want to go. I want this to be somewhere moms can’t wait to go, and their kids can’t wait to go.”
