We enter the World of Kids Rule Play, in Heath Hayes (Cannock). We meet a mom with a daughter with Down Syndrome, who wants to create a new play centre that caters for all but with regular events for special needs children too. It's already big with a huge soft play, sensory sections, role play sections and a party room, and will soon be opening its outside area too and further function room.
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00:00 Hello and welcome to Kids Roleplay Cafe. I'm Sharna and this is a new business venture that we've brought to Heath Hayes in Cannock.
00:11 Fantastic, it's looking very colourful. It was a nursery previously so it's no strangers to children running around is it?
00:18 No, no, it's used to all the children, yeah.
00:20 And it's great isn't it? So I mean it's nice and colourful from the outside. Talk us through then. So we're in what we call the sensory bit?
00:28 Yeah, so we've got our sensory base just dotted around. So within here you've got your light sensory and you've got your touch and your sound.
00:36 And through the other area we have got different roleplay bays as well.
00:40 Cool, just go on then, shall we have the walkthrough then?
00:43 Yeah, so we've got sectioned roleplay bays, you've got your hairdresser's, your cafe, and we've got our doctor's surgery, we've got our little theatre, little nursery and also our shop.
00:56 So this is a bit of it, you've worked with families previously haven't you?
01:00 Yes, yes.
01:01 So what was the thinking between this venture then, this project?
01:04 So this project is a little bit of a maternity punt. So we've kind of put our heads together, me and my husband, and thought we've always wanted to run our own little business.
01:15 We have got two children and my littlest one, who's nearly one, she was diagnosed with having Down syndrome just two weeks after she was born.
01:27 So we've recognised that there is no actual hub for children and parents that have children with Down syndrome.
01:34 So we want to become that hub.
01:36 But as well, there's not really anything like this, such as a sensory area, roleplay and softplay, anywhere local.
01:44 So this is also another thing we wanted to bring to this little village.
01:48 Fantastic. And if people want to find out more about opening hours and all that, have you got a presence online as well?
01:54 Yes, we've got our website, it's live, it's kidsroleplaycafe.co.uk, so on there it's got our session times, our activities, any special events and also party information and how to book.
02:07 It is a booking online only.
02:09 We also are familiar with Facebook and Instagram, so you can follow us on those as well and we will be sharing offers occasionally throughout those portals.
02:18 And I guess you've got, I mean it's amazing already, but we've got the garden to kind of come online and then you've got upstairs rooms, so there'll be even more party rooms in the future as well.
02:30 We've got exclusive parties that we can offer now and then as we progress the building, we've got the upstairs space to do extra parties.
02:40 Fantastic.
02:41 At the same time.
02:42 So mum, this is Charlie Ray.
02:44 Yes, so this is Charlie Ray, so she's one of the reasons why we're doing the business.
02:48 Yeah, well she's...
02:49 All because of you.
02:50 [Laughs]
02:52 She's a smiley little thing, isn't she?
02:54 Yeah, you're beautiful.
02:56 Yes, Charlie Ray. And how old is she then, mum?
02:58 So she'll be one in ten days.
03:00 Yeah.
03:01 Yep, growing up quick.
03:02 No way they do, don't they?
03:04 Yeah.
03:05 Charlie Ray, give us a little wavies.
03:06 Wave.
03:07 Wavies.
03:08 [Laughs]
03:09 Oh, that's cute.
03:10 So you're going to have some special play sessions, aren't you?
03:13 Yeah, so on a weekly basis we'll be running SEM sessions that are suitable for any children with additional needs.
03:20 Oh, wow.
03:21 So they're going to be running on a Sunday morning, Friday morning and Wednesdays after school.
03:26 They will not be cancelled without fail, they will run all the time because I feel it's a massive need in the area.
03:32 Yeah.
03:33 Because not many places cater for additional needs and obviously with Charlie Ray, that's why we want to do these kind of sessions.
03:41 So it's a bit like a Tardis, this place. It's huge when you get inside, isn't it?
03:45 Yeah, it's a nice surprise. People don't realise there is the soft play in here.
03:49 I mean, it is, you know, we're kind of on the first level here.
03:51 If we just peep over the sides, it drops right down there and it goes right up.
03:56 So that slide from top to bottom, that's quite a ride.
03:59 Yes.
04:00 Have you had the bottle to have a go yourself yet?
04:02 No.
04:03 [Laughs]
04:04 I can't quite get up there, but I've got plenty of staff that will.
04:07 Yeah, yeah.
04:08 It goes all the way from the top, slows all the way down the bottom and I've heard it is rather fast.
04:13 Fantastic.
04:14 And it goes on for quite a while.
04:15 And it's quite special really because there's not all that many of these kind of soft play kind of things, not on this scale, is there really?
04:21 No, there's not much around in this area.
04:24 Yeah.
04:25 Especially with having a soft play here as well.
04:27 Yeah.
04:28 It's a big soft play, so it's up to nine years of age as well, so it's going to cater for a lot of ages.
04:33 Great stuff.
04:34 [Music]
04:39 Hey! And this is the party room then?
04:42 Yes, we've got our party room. This is the moment where we're having our parties.
04:46 Yeah.
04:47 This is up to 20 to 30 children.
04:49 Yeah.
04:50 We also use this for our crafts as well, so we do every session and have extra activity, whether it's sensory, music time, story time or craft activity.
04:59 Fantastic.
05:00 And we've, who's, who've we got here?
05:02 These are Bertie and Fred. These are potato men that we're making today.
05:08 You are playing in the sand pit. This is a bit of a work in progress, the outside area, isn't it?
05:13 Yeah, so we would like eventually to get this area to be sand and water play for the children to come and experience the different environments.
05:21 Yeah, cool. Hopefully for this summer, fingers crossed.
05:24 Yeah, in the next coming weeks, this is our main project that we're going to be working on, so it should be ready up and running for the summer.
05:30 There's no extra charge to come outside. It is all included as well in the price.
05:35 Go!
05:38 I've done it!