This new kids play area near Puyallup has dinosaurs, princesses and a cafe for parents
Gayane Herman found herself driving as far as Bellevue to find new indoor play areas for her kids.
The 31-year-old South Hill mom saw a need, especially during the colder months, for more Pierce County play areas that could entertain the littlest learners and their slightly older siblings.
That led Herman and her family to start the Kidsville Play Cafe at 18810 Meridian E., Suite 104. There was an open house for families on Jan. 29, with plans to formally open on Feb. 1.
They have seven different themed rooms for infants to 6-year-olds. There’s a space with tiny motorized trucks kids can drive, a dinosaur room, a sort of princess tea party area and a jungle-gym room, among others.
Herman started the business with her husband, Andy Herman; her brother, Robert Khachaturov; and her mother, Nana Khachaturova.
The space used to be a motorcycle company and had been vacant for four or five years, they said.
Andy Herman is a web developer and graphic designer, and Gayane previously worked as a pharmacy technician. They knew they wanted to open a business and realized a play area would be a good fit.
They looked into starting a day care, they said, but found the permitting could take years. A play area meets a community need and allows them to spend time with their kids and save on childcare by bringing their little ones to work with them, the Hermans said.
Their 4-year-old daughter, Anna, likes the pink princess room. Their 2-year-old son, Leo, likes the dinosaur area best.
In addition to the toys, there’s a cafe area. They’re starting out with prepackaged snacks for sale and hope to finalize permits to serve things like espresso, slushies, chicken nuggets and hot dogs soon. They also hope to get licenses so that parents can enjoy a beer while their kids play and maybe watch football on the big screen.
The Hermans said they thought about brain science and neurodevelopment as they designed the business, and they chose toys they thought their own kids would enjoy.
“We went off what Anna likes, what Leo likes, what our friends’ kids like,” Andy Herman said.
Gayane Herman is part of the local Russian community and is looking forward to having storytimes each week in English and in Russian. Talking to moms, she said, she recognized a need to help kids develop language skills.
“I know how challenging it is, keeping both languages,” she said.
They have a library setup, too, where families can bring a book to leave and take a new one home.
Admission to Kidsville is $13.50, and they’re working on a membership option. They also have a private party room that families can rent for birthdays, $185 on weekdays and $250 on weekends.
Their hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.
