My hope in sharing the origin story behind this dream is to invite you to be a part of making it a reality.
My kids and I enjoy getting outside as often as we can. While we were visiting Northern Virginia (NoVa) in the summer of 2022, I’d heard about all the free things available to do in Washington, DC, and was excited to bring my family to as much of it as I could.
At the same time, I was twenty weeks pregnant, and the heat wasn’t doing any favors. My family and I wanted to get out of the house, but there were so few organized activities available through the Army. Trips to the pool weren’t even entertained with the admission prices as they were. That’s when I started looking for indoor play spaces, finding out that it would be an average of $14 for my son to visit one.
What?!
Where were the indoor play spaces like you’d see at McDonald’s? We’d grown up with these sorts of places, and now I couldn’t find even one within a 30-minute drive. Ultimately, the absence of activities and opportunities for family outings made for a lonelier summer than I’d been prepared for.
After my precious baby girl was born, I was grateful for the time to rest and recoup at home. Eventually, it was time for my husband to go back to work and I found it easier to be out of the house with my toddler and newborn than at home with them. So, there I was again, longing for indoor play spaces, and having no suitable options.
I also thought about my previous duty station, Fort Stewart, GA. Fort Stewart had just reopened a “Treehouse” indoor playground. It was incredible. I only had a chance to use it for one week as it re-opened the week we moved to DC. I could have seen myself using it several times a month.
I began talking with my friend Stephanie about this, and I realized I wasn’t alone. An indoor play space would be fantastic for her five children, too, all of them ten years or younger. I realized that my background and passion for cultivating community would suit an initiative like this well. The dream began to take root, and I began to act.
We’re acting. You can read more about what we’re currently doing for this initiative in the “Baby Steps” Post.
The Dandelion Club 