I am so excited to share with you guys Duran Place for Kids today! I love places that are all about family and creating lasting memories with your kids and Duran Place for Kids truly is that! Duran Place for Kids is a children's activity centre with four floors of fun for kids and parents. One stop for recreational play and learning fun in music, arts, dance, fitness, tutoring and birthdays! And come on, we know as parents we are always looking for places that are "one stop shops!" Let's get to know Tina some more and then you can read my raving review below.
Do you have kids? If so how many & age?
5 kids ages 14, 12, 11, 7, 2 (and we foster)
What's one thing people probably don't know about you? Driven Dreamer
Are you a stay at home mom/dad? No, I am an elementary teacher.
What is your favourite thing to do for yourself? Take a bath
What is your favourite date night activity? Any place with my husband. Chapters and tea & Desserts
What's one thing you couldn't live without? Tea
What advice would you give your younger self?  Just ask
Where is business located out of? Downtown, Oakville, 83 Reynolds Street
How did you choose the name for your business? We named it after our kids, Duran is the family surname, because they are sacrificing along side us.
How do you balance having kids & running a business? At this point there is no balance, the scales are tipping heavier on the school side and as for the rest, we are pushing through and managing...together.
What inspired you to open up Duran Place for Kids? A lifelong dream since I knew I wanted to teach, my own ideas in my own school. My husband heard about it so often that he adopted it as his own. We made the mistake of letting the kids hear about it and for them it was always just a matter of when we were going to do and never "if" we were going to do it.
What advice can you give someone looking to start up their own business? Just jump!
What sets your business apart from others alike? We are not the traditional school, we are open to ideas and we have created a homey atmosphere for families to enjoy. Kids get to experiment and learn about themselves and what they may enjoy doing
What is the most challenging part of running your business? Dinner
What does a typical day look like for you? Up early, get kids ready, husband drives them to school and in that time I get myself and baby ready to be picked up by hubby and we head off to open the school, full day there with baby, one of us takes him for a nap and one of us picks up kids, we both end up back at the school to clean up and close up for the night. Late return home to prepare for the next day. Repeat.
Favourite song: Mary Tyler Moore Theme Song
Dream Vacation: Mediterranean Cruise
Favourite Book: A Woman of Substance
Dream Job: Teaching
Dream Car: Bentley
Favourite Smell: top of a newborn's head
Dream meal: Nonna's cooking (miss that)
Favourite item of clothing: A fancy hat (we should bring those back)
@Camara.Crew Stamp of Approval:
We've visited Duran Place for Kids for two different events, both Princess Parties and left with huge smiles on our faces and many memories! Duran Place for Kids through amazing events in collaboration with some other amazing community businesses. I love that they are about supporting local businesses and working with others! They have ample space for hosting events and lots of different options, it is definitely a place I will keep in mind for future birthday parties for my kids. I highly recommend following them on social media (links above) to keep up to date on events and classes happening! You won't be disappointed by attending one.
I love that there is lots to do an explore without it being too overwhelming. When I go to places with my kids I don't want the space to be too large and overwhelming that I find it difficult to watch them and they are over stimulated. At Duran Place for Kids the rooms are on a smaller scale so its easier to have a more intimate experience and keep an eye on your children. Their play spaces provide opportunities for children to use their imagination and explore their senses. You won't be disappointed! Lily had so much fun exploring and making memories with me. As soon as we walked out the doors she was already asking when we could go back.
Two tips for visiting Duran Place for Kids is to give yourself extra time to find parking. There is no parking lot so you do have to find street parking. There is a lot of street parking available however, I did find it busy when I went as both events were on the weekend. So make sure you bring change for parking meters or you can pay with an app on your phone. The facility is not stroller friendly either so I recommend baby wearing if you are bringing an infant. There is quite a few stairs to walk up to get inside and then lots of stairs to go from each floor.
If you want to read more on the Preschool Princess Party we attended at Duran Place for Kids click here!
Photos below:
Princess Entertainment provided by Minikinz Additional Entertainment provided by: The Common Moms, Tea with Tracie, Tiny Tales Story Time
