They help young parents get some ‘me’ time

“A year after my son was born, I realised it had been ages since I’d watched a film at a theatre,” says Mahita Fernandez, stay-at-home mom turned entrepreneur whose search for a safe, clean and stimulating environment where she could leave her son for a few hours while she caught up on some necessary ‘me’ time led to her opening her own activity centre, Gambolla.

“As I was not into a full-time job at that time, I didn’t actually need a day-care option, but a place where I could leave my child once in a while without feeling guilty, and where he could have fun too. Most existing places catered to older children and not to toddlers,” says Fernandez, a former corporate communications executive.

She opened Gambolla in April 2010 and the response has been overwhelming. Spread over 2000 sq feet on Infantry Road, near the shopping areas of Commercial Street and MG Road, the activity centre has an indoor and outdoor play area, a giant play house, art and craft corner and a host of puzzles, games and books.

It also has a mini café, where parents dropping off their children can browse through magazines while sipping on some coffee.

So popular has this idea proved that a number of activity centres now cater to the same need. Most have been started by young parents, whose search for such services led them to reinvent their careers by mixing a sound business idea with a passion for children’s activities. 

Peek-a-Boo on Church Street was one of the first movers in this space. Run by Roshini Thadani, who grew up in Japan where such activity centres abound, Peek-a-Boo has 3,500 sq ft of prime space on Church Street and a sand-pit, library, soft play area and art and craft activities.

“Although we allow parents to drop off their kids while they unwind, we encourage them to spend time with the kids in a place where there are many activities to choose from. Many fathers like to do this on weekends, allowing moms to get some time to themselves,” says Thadani.

For Shobha Venkataraman, a stay-at-home mom to two boys, five and two-and-a-half years old, who lives on Cubbon Road, such centres have provided an option beyond noisy malls.

“My sons crave physical space and activity and we live in an apartment complex that doesn’t have a play area. Taking them to a mall is a no-no as they get over-stimulated and they’re not doing anything constructive,” says Venkataraman, who frequently takes her children to Gambolla and Peek-a-Boo.

“I often accompany them, but it’s as good as getting free time as I can switch off mentally,” she adds. According to Joyeeta Das, who runs Hopscotch Activity Centre in Benson Town along with a friend, most parents prefer that their kids spend time in an environment that provides them with physical activity and intellectual stimulation than staying home with domestic help or grandparents.

“Many of the centres have been started by parents themselves, and I think this is reassuring for those who leave their children with us as they can be sure of similar cultural profiles,” says Das, who left a high-profile job as an education consultant to be with her three-year-old daughter and started Hopscotch late last year. 

Most of these centres charge between Rs 100 and Rs 200 per hour and provide a range of toys and books that even the most affluent parents cannot possibly store at home — a point that scores very much in their favour. Many also have monthly, half-yearly and annual packages for parents who opt for activity centres after school.

“We also work out packages taking into account school holidays when parents are at work and international school holidays that don’t match the Indian calendar,” says Fernandez of Gambolla. Most also hold regular arts and crafts, creative movement and storytelling sessions conducted by professionals.