Oct 11, 201208:08 AMDaily News
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Children shop, work and run a household
Children in Middletown now have a place where they can be in charge.
They can buy groceries, work construction, eat at a diner and even star on stage.
At Let’s Pretend, kids can do anything their imaginations let them.
Let’s Pretend is a new play center in Middletown for children of all ages with different rooms, themes and props as they play with their imagination. There is a schoolhouse with desks and a chalkboard, a grocery store with pretend food and a stage with tons of costumes and accessories.
Kerri Meyer, one of the owners, said she was always looking for places to take her boys to play at when they were younger. Unfortunately, Meyer, of Middletown, couldn’t find anywhere close-by. With a preschool education background, she said she wanted to do something like Let’s Pretend for more than eight years.
When her husband lost his job last year, the family decided to make a run at this idea and go for it.
They were able to move into the building on Oct. 15, 2011 and officially opened in January 2012—four days after the family’s daughter Kennedi was born. Along with Kennedi, Meyer and her husband and fellow co-owner, Rick Bryan, have three boys ages 10, 12 and 5.
Feedback has been very positive so far as Let’s Pretend gets many repeat visitors.
“For a new business, I think it’s doing really well,” Meyer said. “We haven’t had any negative feedback at all. Everyone’s like ‘We love the concept’ and they keep coming back.”
The one thing that’s missing—though it’s hard to even notice—is modern technology, such as TV or computers. Kids literally are left with various items and their imaginations as they explore the different areas of Let’s Pretend.
Along with the school, stage and diner, Let’s Pretend offers a huge art area, sand table, train set and post office. There is also a small kitchen and tables to eat for birthday parties.
Meyer said any child who can walk can enjoy Let’s Pretend. For those walkers there are strollers and carts they can push and load with groceries. Boys tend to like doll house and grocery store, Meyer said, while girls tend to prefer the school. Everybody of all ages seem to enjoy the stage and the art area.
If you go: Let’s Pretend is at 100 Brown St., Middletown, and is open from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, and opened to reservations and birthday parties every day after 4 p.m. It is also open Sundays from noon-4 p.m. The cost is $7 per person; children 1 and younger are admitted for free. For more information, visit http://letspretend123.com/
Kurt Bopp is assistant editor/web at Central Penn Parent, and although an avid video game player since he was 5, he always had and enjoyed using his imagination.
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