The Play Station, an indoor play area designed for children 10 years and under, will host its grand opening Saturday, June 14 at 13322 Highway 90. The ribbon cutting will begin at 9 a.m. and doors will open at 10 a.m. The event will include free food and giveaways.
Owner Cassandra Toumba said the grand opening, which was originally set for May, was delayed after a serious car accident in March claimed the lives of her son Jeremiah and his best friend, Hunter. The accident occurred near Bluebonnet Boulevard in East Baton Rouge parish. Jeremiah was 24 years old.
“At one time we weren’t sure if we would keep moving forward with The Play Station,” Toumba said. “My son was heavily involved in the planning and operational portion of the new venture.”
She said that, after much prayer and support from family, friends and the community, she decided to push forward with the project.
“God gave me the vision and made provisions for me to bring this fun-filled family venue to our parish,” Toumba said. “It’s a blessing.”
She said the business will focus on family fun and healthy play. The play area consists of soft play equipment, including bounce houses, ball pits and bouncy balls. The space will also offer a small menu of bit sized and hand-held foods like pizza, hot dogs, chips and nachos. The business is centrally located off the highway.
“I can’t wait to see how excited kids will be to come enjoy our place and the satisfaction parents will have that this is available right here in St. Charles Parish,” Toumba said.
The Play Station will include free wi-fi and bathrooms with changing areas for babies and toddlers. Toumba said each staff member will receive training in child safety, basic first aid, customer service and safe operation of all equipment.
Parents can also choose different party packages for birthdays and other events. Weekday packages start around $350 and weekend packages are available for $400. The packages will include two hours of private play, a private party room with games, a party hostess, food and more.
Individual play time tickets are available at $12.
Toumba said the play area will include easy access for parents to play with their children or to view them from a comfortable distance.
“We have tried to incorporate a mix of activities including creative expression play, imaginative play and sensory stimulation using different colors and textures,” Toumba said. “We encourage healthy expressions of play, including climbing, jumping, crawling or even sitting just to read a book.”
