On weekdays, the New Hudson-based showroom of Kids Gotta Play lives up to its name. From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., the showroom is open for play. Parents can bring their little ones in to play on up to 15 assembled Rainbow playsets of varying sizes, four Springfree (yes, no springs) trampolines and six basketball hoops. Beginning in March, families who come to play will be doing so for a good cause. That’s because for a minimum $1 donation, they can play in the warmth of a 12,000-square-foot heated showroom, and the money will go to the Make-A-Wish Foundation and other local charities.
“We regularly work with Make-A-Wish and thought it a great idea to give back to this and potentially other charities through our Play It Forward program,” says Kids Gotta Play owner Dave Byrum.
He notes that many families don’t realize the showroom is open for kids to play during the week. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday, the cost is $5 per child to play.
“We talk to so many parents and know that they’re always looking for new places to play especially during winter months,” Byrum says.
Parents are responsible for supervising their children, and they can play for as long as they like.
While open play provides a brief respite from cabin fever, it can also be an opportunity for families in the market for a playset to see what their children like and gravitate toward when it comes to play.
“Coming to play during weekday showroom hours allows kids to test drive our play sets,” Byrum says. “Parents are always interested to see what their children like best.”
