The Wishing Well Play Café, a new play and events centre in Sunderland city centre, opened on Monday and has already been fully booked for all three daily sessions run by Victoria Rowell and her mother, Julie Cummings.
The open-plan café is filled with light colours and toys for babies and children up to the age of four, including a ball pit, dress-up clothes, climbing toys, stuffed animals, books, a doll house and other play equipment.
A space for parents to relax
Parents can relax in the open-style café, enjoy a hot drink and catch up with friends while keeping children in their eye line. Unlike a soft play centre, the open plan allows children to play while parents stay nearby.
Victoria, who has a three-year-old of her own, decided to open the café after finding there was nothing similar for her child in the city centre. She said: “A lot of people have came in and said there’s no where to take children within the city. So I think having that space where they can just still have their time and let their children play is important.”
Booking and food options
The space costs around £7 for a single parent and child, is bookable online and has up to nine tables to accommodate groups. Food for children includes breakfast options such as toast, granola and baby beard pancakes, while the most popular lunch option so far is pitta pizzas.
Events are planned for the rest of the year, and the popular Halloween event has already been booked up, so Victoria has added another day to ensure everyone who wants to attend can do so.
