The Enchanted Woods: Closer Than you Think

New Brunswick winters are hard on all of us, but the cold temperatures and icy conditions pose a different type of challenge for families with young children. Children need a place to burn off their energy year-round and the Enchanted Woods Play Café has a comfortable environment to make that possible.

The Enchanted Woods Play Café is an indoor play-place that provides a needed environment for children to learn, play, and get their exercise when going outside loses its appeal.

Owner Emily Wood opened the space after having a child of her own and noticing the need for a family friendly space.

“There really just aren’t very many family friendly places in Fredericton. Or a place where you can go and just let your child play. Especially children who are under the certain age of like say five,” Wood said.

The space features a wooden play structure and a variety of toys for children to explore. As well as an event room that can be used for birthday parties and different special events held by Enchanted Woods.

The Enchanted Woods also supports other small businesses with a variety of locally made items up for sale.

Parents find comfort in knowing Enchanted Woods is an option. They take advantage of café portion of the business and sip on locally roasted coffee while they watch their children explore. This provides a cozy alternative when the days of building snowman get to be too much.

You can often find professors grading papers while their children play, or parents who work from home using the free wifi to answer emails.

Local photographer and mother of two, Sarah Sarty, refers to enchanted woods as her office. She takes advantage of feeding her kids healthy meals from the café, and loves that Enchanted Woods offers both free play and structured play programs.

“I come specifically about once a week to do editing and to just answer emails and do the administrative part of my job. It’s a great location if I am really busy,” said Sarty.

On November 28 the Enchanted Woods celebrated their first birthday, which is a milestone not many small businesses get to see.

“The statistic for new businesses failing in their first year of business is actually 90 per cent which is crazy high. So, we are incredibly proud to have created something that is being so well supported that we are able to continue on and we are looking forward to what is coming in the future.”