The newly rebranded Royal Quays Independent and Outlet Centre in North Shields has announced that Amy Morris has opened the Acorn & Oak Play Café.
The soft play centre and café, aimed at children up to six years old, encourages children to play by using their imagination in a series of creative role play areas.
As well as Oak Cottage, the children’s safe play areas include a kitchen, a construction area, a medical centre, and a picnic area.
Each week the café will host a different themed activity giving children an opportunity to experience and learn important skills in a play environment. It also provides a place for adults to watch their children having fun while enjoying a cup of tea and a cake.
Amy Morris, founder of the new concept, said: “I’ve got two children aged three and four and I found that most of the places to take them to play involved climbing or running and didn’t concentrate on good old fashioned play involving imagination and a few well positioned props.
“I decided that was what I wanted for my children and feedback from other parents and carers backed this up, so Acorn & Oak was born.
“We’ve invested in play equipment and our play areas are all hand crafted by local tradesmen, so the quality is excellent. I wish I had somewhere to play like this when I was younger.”
Royal Quays Independent and Outlet Centre, manager Matt Dawson commented: “Amy is the latest business to embrace our centre and I’m particularly pleased to see that her café is a great place for our young shoppers of tomorrow to learn through play and for parents to get a nice cup of coffee and home baked cakes while watching them.
“It’s quite possible that some of the young people’s play could encourage them to take on a career in building or retail thanks to the experiences they gained at Acorn & Oak.”
