A prenatal yoga class started a friendship that launched two young moms into business. Caitlin Hummel and Ashley Power were both pregnant when they met, both with their first child.
“Neither of us had friends with kids when we struck up a friendship,” says Hummel. “We know how important it is to have support from others who understand what it’s like to be a mom. There are a lot of moms who feel isolated when they have children.”
“As Ashley and I talked, we discovered we wanted to find a way to support mothers with young children. When each of our youngest was four months old, we opened the Circle Play Café, a play space for kids from zero to six years old,” Hummel says.
Hummel and Power were both pregnant in 2018 when they found the space that is now the Circle Play Café. “Our fathers, fathers-in-law, and husbands spent six months helping us build out the space; laying new flooring, painting walls, and reconfiguring the interior to be as open and accessible as possible,” says Power.
“We were very clear in our vision. We needed a space where parents could see their children play from any vantage point; a place where parents could relax and get the support they needed while their kids could have a blast, safely,” notes Hummel.
When the Circle Play Café opened in October 2019, it was strictly a place for open play, with parents staying to supervise their children at play. The business model has evolved since the play café’s inception.
“We changed our business plan, partially because of the pandemic,” says Power. “At first, no reservations were required but parents had to stay with their children. We were open weekdays, all day. We’ve adjusted to market conditions these days and have a better understand of nap schedules. We now offer both reserve ahead and open play Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9 a.m.–11:30 a.m. Drop-offs are welcome, if a mom or caregiver just needs a break,” she says.
Because the Circle Play Café maintains a parent child ratio of one to six, (when both Hummel and Power are on site) the small group size allows each child to receive the attention they need. The day I visited, three moms, plus Hummel and Power, were in the play café supervising the kids.
“We had some growing pains when we started drop-offs because every week there were new kids. Kids who’ve been here before are excited to be here, they know the routine, they get along, and enjoy learning new things. When a child first starts coming to play, it takes a little while to join in,” Power says.
The café now not only accepts reservations for drop-offs, there’s also a preschool program designed for ages two and three.
“We began our preschool program of play-based learning and planned activities as we expanded our business model. Kids learn to sit and listen, to follow instruction; they develop social skills; they learn how to use their hands and develop fine muscle control. We introduce Play-Doh, small tools, and sensory boxes to help them learn while they play,” Power says. “Seasonbased learning is encouraged, too. At Thanksgiving, we create projects around what we’re grateful for; for Christmas and Hanukkah, we explore how we celebrate.”
Preschool is a combined class of ten kids and runs for the full school year. Next year, the pair plan to expand the program to two classes: one for children two years old and another for kids who are three.
The Circle Play Café survived pandemic shutdowns by getting creative. “We offered weekly online instruction for the months we were closed. As a free outlet for parents with kids at home, we presented story time, music, arts and crafts, dance, science experiments, and kids’ yoga. We sold sensory boxes and kits
Future firefighters practice their skills with activities that parents could do at home with their kids. Honestly, we didn’t expect to be closed for five months, but we survived,” Power says.
Power admits that keeping the business alive was challenging, financially. “Months after we opened, COVID hit. The first two years of any business, you’re paying back loans from banks and family members, trying to figure out what works and what doesn’t. When we first opened, many people contributed to our success. The handprints on our wall are from all those people who made The Circle Play Café possible.”
When asked how their kids feel about sharing their moms with other kids, Hummel and Power agree, “We have good days and bad days, to be honest, but our kids have adjusted to sharing us with other kids. They’re used to the dynamic now. And they benefit from being around other kids. They have friends to play with almost every day. Truthfully, they’ve never known anything else. We feel blessed to have this space.”
The Circle Play Café sponsors a Moms’ Group one night per month when specialists are brought in to talk about topics of interest to mothers such as postpartum depression, breastfeeding, and mental health.
“We’re planning to introduce Football Sundays for dads each month, when fathers can spend time together while their kids play,” Hummel says. “We have a back room where we host kids’ birthday parties and when possible, kids’ yoga, and music classes. We hope to expand soon; increasing our hours for open play to include two weekday afternoons and Saturday mornings.”
Play at The Circle Play Café is $10 plus tax for a 9 a.m.–11:30 a.m. session. Pay at the door or purchase a discounted punch card good for ten sessions for $80. The Circle Play Café is located at 1276 Fairport Road in Fairport. Visit thecircleplaycafe.com for more information.