Two Little Birdies Play Cafe, located on Shields Road in Byker, Newcastle, will open its doors on Bank Holiday Monday. The new venture has been created by Amy Dial, a 33-year-old mother of two, who began planning the cafe during maternity leave.
A Lifeline for Parents
Amy, who lives in Ryton, Gateshead, but is originally from Wallsend, North Tyneside, said she was inspired to open the cafe after struggling with postnatal anxiety following the birth of her daughter Primrose, three. She found that visiting play cafes helped her, and she wanted to offer the same support to other parents.
She said: "It's a few years in the making. I started looking into it before I got pregnant with my son. Maternity leave is quite romanticised but in reality you can feel quite alone. When you go from working full time to being on maternity leave you think what do I do with myself? You lose that bit of identity."
"Getting out the house and going to play cafes with friends helped. It was something that was a lifeline for me. I think it's important to offer a space for parents to get out and have somewhere to go."
The Cafe's Features
The premises, which used to be a gym, were chosen because Amy's grandparents lived in the area and it is familiar to her. It is also close to other attractions such as Seven Stories and Ouseburn Farm. The cafe features several slides leading into a large ball pit, role play areas including a play kitchen, a supermarket, an ice cream stand, a snack stand, a fancy dress area, and bookshelves. There is also a separate baby room with toys suitable for young babies and those not yet walking.
Three sessions will run each day and can be booked online. Amy plans to offer calmer sessions and ones suited to more active children, along with events for parents to take time for themselves.
Design and Future Plans
Amy explained the design: "The play frame is all natural, it's all wood. It's calming colours and I have tried to go as gender neutral as possible. I wanted it to look like a little birds house. The two little birdies are my children. My daughter's middle name is Wren and my son's middle name is Robin. That was the idea behind it."
She added: "My little girl, when I took her to some of the amazing play cafes already in the area, did not engage at all with the soft play side of things. You would find her in the corner with the role play. So I want to target the two different types of children - those more physically active and those who prefer role play."
Amy, who works as a specialist teacher and plans to run the cafe around her part-time role at Gateshead Council, said she hopes to run SEND sessions once the cafe is established.
Community Support
Amy said she has been "absolutely blown away" by the support she has received on social media. She said: "I feel like we have got a little community going and we haven't even opened yet! People have been so lovely. I'm fully booked on the opening day. We have had a lot of interest. The following day, we are pretty much booked out. We have a couple of spaces left on the Tuesday. The support has been incredible."
