Last weekend, we got all the girls out of the house for what felt like the first time in forever. Where did we go? We went to Tree of Life Play Cafe in Hilliard, one of my favorite local spots for families. Wait? What? A play cafe? They’re not open just yet, how did that work? Well, just leave it to Borah, owner of the play cafe, to find a way to help us mamas out when she is the one under pretty difficult circumstances.
Due to COVID-19, she isn’t officially opened for open play just yet, but she has created private play times (for your “QuaranTEAM“) at a very affordable price ($50/2 hours). (Mamas of multiples, you’re gonna love this). They are allowing PRIVATE PLAY for your family for up to 10 people at a time. This allows your family to enjoy their incredible space with minimal risk of spreading the virus. The time slots are for two hours, with one hour in between to allow for proper sanitation and disinfecting prior to another family visiting.
When we visited, we felt very comfortable being there. The employee who took our order/checked us in was wearing mask and was very friendly. I could tell when I walked in how well they had cleaned and how serious they are taking our safety. Very well done.
Not only is this a great way to get a change of scenery for your kiddos (and let them run off that built up energy), it is a great way to support a small, local business keep their doors open and employees working.
You can get more information + book here.
She was even kind enough to pass along a coupon code for $5 off your booking, a pizza or even a delicious coffee! The code is EATPLAYCBUS and you can use it one time.
If you haven’t been to Tree of Life, you’re in for a real treat. They’re located in the same building as Get Air in Hilliard and have two levels. The first level is a cafe where you can find coffee, snacks, pizza, sandwiches and more. When I say I’ve never had anything I didn’t love from their kitchen, I am not lying! Wait until the bottom of this post. You’ll see what I mean when you see the lunch we got for carry-out before leaving.
On the second floor, you’ll find the play space. Keep in mind they do not have an elevator. We brought the girls in with the wagon and left it on the first floor.
When you get up the stairs, the first thing you’ll see is the area is gated in and their is sanitizer waiting for you! Make sure you sanitize before going in. Gotta keep those germs away. ๐
The upstairs is very open, yet is divided into different sections. You’ll find an open room to your left, which is filled with toys for younger kids and includes a lot of imaginative play. In the middle, you’ll see tables/chairs and a gated in area that has bigger blocks, a small slide and a caterpillar tunnel for crawlers. Just behind that, they have a climbing feature, which includes a trampoline, slide and ball pit.
New to me (since our last visit) is this beautiful mural she had painted. I love the swing that was added. I think the girls did, too.
These pictures are giving me so many preschool vibes and I am not sure how I feel about that! Why do they grow up so fast?
Oh, and another cool feature? She has twoย interactive floor games. I am not sure if the girls, myself or my husband enjoyed those the most. Ha.
Remember how I mentioned they have locally roasted coffee available? It is FANTASTIC. I was only there two hours, but had TWO DRINKS. I just couldn’t decided between my two favorites – the cinnamon dolce latte and the iced caramel macchiato. By the way – even if you’re not headed to Tree of Life for playtime, you can still grab coffee.
While you do have the option to eat lunch/snacks upstairs, we decided that we would order food to-go. Mostly to entice the girls not to fall asleep on the way home. #momlife Plus, our playtime was 9-11, ending right out our typical lunchtime. Like I mentioned in the beginning, their menu is great. It is a mixture of this+that (aka snacks like goldfish, fruit snacks, cake balls, applesauce) sandwiches, pizza, breakfast and smoothies. Covers pretty much all the bases, right? We opted for fries and pizza.HIGHLY RECOMMEND BOTH. My husband and I quote said,”These fries are incredible. Man, if they just added bourbon to the menu – this would be my new spot! They have everything I need!”
This is the Chicken Bacon Ranch pizza with a side of hot sauce. We wanted to try to Buffalo Chicken pizza as everyone raves about it, but we didn’t know if it would be a bit too spicy for the girls. We were thrilled with our choice. That spicy ranch drizzle had the best flavor and was the perfect addition. I almost wish we would have asked for extra!!!
If you’re reading this and don’t think you’ll make it for playtime, don’t worry – you can order lunch/dinner via carryout. They offer curbside right to your car. They are also on Grub Hub, Uber Eats and Door Dash – just keep in mind those platforms take a good chunk of the profit. If possible, try to order directly from them. They’re located right off 270, making it pretty easy to get to!
You can check out the full menu here.
We had the BEST time playing and very much ENJOYED our lunch.
One of the reasons I LOVED our private play is because I was truly able to let the girls run free and explore. It is hard to keep eyes on all three at once, so it was nice to have the quieter/open space. I also loved that we were away from all the distractions at home (work, cleaning, dishes, laundry, yard work, etc.) We were able to check-out with the girls and just focus on the moment – which is priceless.
Keep in mind, they did just get the go ahead to open back up on June 10th! Woo hoo!! This means that your window of private play is closing soon.
“We will honor all the “quaranTEAM” bookings. I have closed down any dates after the last booking on 6/17. Any open times before then may STILL be booked. We will then begin normal “open play” following this. Any “quaranTEAM” bookings after the 10th may bring more than 10 to their private play reservation without height or age restrictions!!” – Tree of Life Facebook
You can book here.
Last thing – Tree of Life is a GREAT SPOT for birthday parties. After seeing how much the girls loved playing (they literally did not stop laughing and screaming the entire time), I am totally having their second birthday party there. You can get more info here.
