The brand new Sugar Snap Play Centre will open its doors at Glass Yard Centre in Sheffield Road, Chesterfield next week - and there isn’t anything usual about the new venue.
Instead of copying typical soft play centres, Alysha Rushton, 31, a mum of an 18-month-old has decided to fill in the niche for a unique place, she felt Chesterfield was lacking.
The family-run business which has been brought together by Alysha, her partner Ryan Cook and four family memebrs Callum Moore, Karena Moore, Jason Moore, Richie Yoshikawa and Amy Yoshikawa, has a unique wooden design and will offer special toddler sessions as well as a unique sensory room for children with special educational needs.
Alysha, who used to teach in schools in Thailand and in Chesterfield said: “We all have babies or toddlers in our family and we were just really struggling find places that wasn't sort of like a big jungle gym, soft Play Centre, and something a little bit more calm and relaxed, nice, and modern. We also have realised that there are not very many options for sensory spaces for children with special educational needs and autism. I think Chesterfield has been really missing a place like this.
"I've worked in schools in Thailand and in Chesterfield, my sister works at school, we used to run a party business for children so we got together and thought let’s change it. Now we are proud to say we will be opening something more than a play centre – a place with like different educational areas that are really good for children before starting preschool.
"One of the main things I really wanted to offer was providing a space that would be nice for babies. There are not very many places where you can just take babies up to a year old to have a play and meet other moms. Soft Play Centre are just not really suitable for under one year olds.”
Offering sensory space and sessions for young children with special educational needs is something that Alysha is looking forward to.
She said: "We want to look into offering SEN mornings in the future,and we've created a sensory room with sensory, fibre optic lights, and we will have quite music on on those sensory sessions and have limited numbers, so it does not get too overwhelming. We have been working with Roman the Seeker, a company offering autism sensory toys. Parents of autistic children in Chesterfield have been saying that would be really nice to have a place like this in town. And it's also a brilliant, calm area for children under five to use outside of the sensory sessions."
The centre will also host ‘messy play’ sessions which will help children to develop their senses in a safe way.
Alysha said: “Everything will be taken away from the space where messy play will be hosted. Each session we will have a different theme – it could be sand play, water play, painting, we will just get as messy as possible. Messy play is amazing for children because they can explore new objects and develop their senses by focusing on what they taste, smell and feel. We want to also host messy play sessions for babies under two. They put a lot of things in their mouth so we will use safe products such as blended Cheerios.”
The play centre will also host a cafe with serving premium coffees and teas, healthy snacks, freshly baked goods and baby snacks, including dairy free options.
Alysha said: “I've noticed taking my 18-month-old around places if you want to get a snack for a baby there's just not really that much on offer. That’s why we will offer fresh fruit, and baby to toddler snacks, as well as dairy- free snacks. We also looking into including vegan snacks.”
The space will be available to let for kids’ parties and will offer classes. The busy schedule will include baby classes and toddler classes, hypno birthing sessions, pregnancy yoga, including postnatal and prenatal sessions and more.
Alysha added: “We are Montessori inspired, meaning children have access to things on a lower level where they can easily access different items.This can encourage the learning process and allow children to build things, use their mind and their imagination.”
The open day weekend on Saturday, September 23 and Sunday, September 24, is fully booked already, but there are still spaces available to book after the official opening, in the week starting on Monday, Septmeber 25.
Sessions need to be booked via social media in advance. Prices per play session are £4.95 for a child up to 13 months old. For older children it is £6.95 and the price includes two parents per child who can attend along.
1. More than a play centre
The brand new luxury play centre will host Montessori stay and play, baby and toddler classes, messy play, party venue, pregnancy yoga and more. Photo: Brian Eyre
2. Café with baby snacks and luxury coffe and tea for parents
The play centre will also host a cafe with serving premium coffees and teas, healthy snacks, freshly baked goods and baby snacks, including dairy free options. Photo: Brian Eyre
3. Sensory space
A specially prepared sensory room includes sensory, fibre optic lights, and quiet music. Sensory sessions will have limited numbers, so it does not get too overwhelming. Photo: Brian Eyre
4. Montessori stay and play,
The centre is Montessori inspired, meaning children have access to things on a lower level where they can easily access different items. This can encourage the learning process and allow children to build things, and use their mind and their imagination. Photo: Brian Eyre