Playtime Inside

If you’re a parent of a child under the age of five, you already know how tough it can be to find a safe play area for your kids in the winter season.  A local non profit organization has a solution to the winter blues for both parents and toddlers.

“The mission of the Keweenaw Family Resource Center is to enrich, support and strengthen family life in the Keweenaw, focusing on families with young children. We recognize that families are best supported when we work together to make our community a great place for kids,” said Director of the Keweenaw Family Resource Center Iola Brubaker.

Playgrounds and outdoor recreation areas in the UP are all but forgotten until the spring. Swing sets, monkey bars, and basketball courts all have a blanket of snow on top of them and for toddlers, outdoor play time is limited this time of year, but parents in the Keweenaw have an indoor alternative that offers their child the ability to schedule a play date no matter what the weather is like outside.

Brubaker said, “Our flagship program is our indoor playground which you can see here. The indoor playground is open to all families with children ages 0-4. Parents can bring their kids here to play. In the winter, it’s a great place to come because it’s warm and dry. It has equipment that is specifically designed for the younger children from the climbing wall to the slide to the tree house, to the dress up corner and the kitchen.”

Parents are required to accompany their child at the indoor playground, which has been known to build long lasting friendships.  “We have families that tell us all the time that they came here when their children were small and they’re friends with the people they met twenty years later,” she said.

The KFRC serves families in the area in many ways and is currently collecting parenting supplies that will be distributed to those who need them.  “Right now we’re running our holiday diaper drive. From now to the end of December, we’re collecting diapers at several locations in the community. Those diapers will be given out to families that call us and need them. We also work with a lot of organizations in town that they can call. If they have a family in need, they can call us as well to get the diapers,” Brubaker said.

Whether you’re in need of diapers or winter clothing, would like to donate, or take advantage of the indoor playground, the folks at the Keweenaw Family Resource Center are glad to help and can be reached at (906) 482-9363.  “A great Christmas gift if you’re looking for something a little different would be a gift certificate to the Tree House indoor playground,” said Brubaker.