Caregivers have a new place to take children 9 and under for unstructured playtime with others. Better yet, the play cafe has an extensive drink menu with espresso classics, specialties like matcha and chai as well as italian sodas and boba. Mountain Sprouts opened in the La Fontana Plaza on Jan. 19 and had its busiest day yet on Presidents Day, Feb. 16.
Founder Tamarah Howard got the inspiration from her time as a nanny. A coffee connoisseur, Howard often wished for a safe place to take the children where she could enjoy a hot beverage and they could play with friends. The concept of a play cafe occurred, and she later realized such a thing exists in other places, but not the Roaring Fork Valley… yet.
“These are a thing, and we don’t have one here,” Howard remembered thinking. “And then when I have my own kids, this would be a great spot to have.”
Howard enlisted Carolyn Stern, a former teaching colleague, as co-owner. Stern had only recently retired from Two Rivers Community School, but loved the idea and accepted the invitation. “I think the kind of person who opens a play cafe for children, it’s the same reason why you become a teacher,” Stern said. “You’re just devoted to creating a space that helps the community be a better place.”
Connection is at the center of what Mountain Sprouts does. Already, “A lot of people are exchanging numbers, meeting other parents, kids are making friends,” Howard said. “We’ve had a lot of single parents who have said how amazing it is.”
“Our goal is to be a community place,” added Stern. “We’re listening to parents and what their needs are and then trying to fill the needs.” They aim to schedule times specific age groups can meet. Also, groupings could be organized for single parents and parents of only-children.
Unlike a daycare, kids can’t just be dropped off at Mountain Sprouts. They must be accompanied by a guardian. The daily rate for a child is $22, then $18 per sibling. They are welcome to leave and return the same day at no additional cost. Punch passes are offered with a discount, as well as monthly memberships with perks like a one-day voucher gift for a friend and drop-off movie nights. Eventually Mountain Sprouts would like to expand its capacity to offer more drop-off style situations.
The play space is active, with monkey bars over a foam pit, a climbing wall, a balance beam and slide; as well as costume props for imaginative play. The infant area is gated and separate from the rest of the play area, with soft surfaces and interactive toys designed for that stage of development. Events, like craft, music and yoga classes, are offered regularly. The play cafe is available for birthday party rentals on Saturdays, too.
For party rentals, Mountain Sprouts can do the decorating according to a chosen theme, or allow hosts to decorate themselves. For example, Howard and Stern were preparing for an upcoming “monster trucks” theme following a “Valentine’s” theme the previous weekend. Stern emphasized the importance of providing a safe space for young children to party with their friends. Cakes and cupcakes for the parties are baked by Carbondale’s 3 B’s Bakery, and outside food is always welcome in the cafe area.
Mountain Sprouts isn’t just serving drip; the cafe experience has been refined with as much intention as the play space. Stern brings a knack for making ceremonial matcha, single-batch chai and cacao, while Howard has traditional barista experience. Comfortable seating and ample counter space provide patrons with a place to work from a laptop while their children play, or to chat with other parents and caregivers. However, anyone craving a boba or chai or any other item on the menu is welcome to stop in. It’s not required to bring a child in order to enjoy a drink.
“We both love kids so much,” Stern concluded. “This is so fun. It’s like the best job ever to watch these kids play together.”
Mountain Sprouts is open from 8am to 5pm on Monday, Wednesday, Friday; from 9am to 6pm on Tuesday, Thursday; from 10am to 4pm on Sunday. Saturdays are reserved for private events. You can stay abreast of happenings by following Mountain Sprouts on Instagram or Facebook, or by joining the newsletter at www.mountainsproutsplaycafe.com