It might be a cloudy and rainy weekend in Squamish, but inside there’s nothing but sunshine.
Much like the movie Encanto, which features a tight-knit family known as the Madrigals, Squamish’s very own Madrigal family have worked together to bring an indoor playground to life at 107-39668 Government Rd, Dentville.
Aida Gomez, her husband Antonio Madrigal and daughter Eloisa Madrigal officially opened Tiny Tots Gym on Nov. 10, giving parents and their children an indoor space to play together.
For 20 years, Gomez has run Aida’s Daycare in Squamish, but a few years ago, she realized there was a lack of child-play opportunities in town.
“It came with a dream of being able to work with kids; that's what I love because I'm a kindergarten teacher from Mexico,” Gomez said.
“I heard, for all these years, parents saying things like, 'We don't have a place to go with our kids to play,' and so I thought, 'We're going to create one.'"
“So I told my husband I wanted to open a gym, and then my daughter chose the name and the logo. She told me one day, 'This is really happening,' and I told her to open the garage door and see how real it is. It was full of things for a gym that I had been collecting for years.”
Together as a family, they set up and decorated the gym in under two weeks, a huge feat which Gomez says was the result of her husband's handy wood-work.
Split into three areas, th gymnasium is decorated with bright colours, Montessori inspired toys and children's music playing in the background.
“The sessions go for an hour and 45 minutes, and it's mainly for one child and adult, but obviously the whole family can come,” Madrigal said.
“We have three different play sections for three different age groups. In the front of the building we have the Happy Waddlers, which is from six months to 20 months. It's fenced off so that they can have their freedom and not worry about the older kids.
“Then there's the Tiny Tots, which is from 20 months to three-and-a-half years old. They have a track they can ride around on; they have a tiny town, and a climbing wall.
“Then on the other side is Amazing Kids, which is from three-and-a-half to five years old, and they have a projector with games they can play, a big monkey bar and climbing wall and balance bars and all that stuff.”
One thing both Gomez and her daughter are adamant about is that the gym is not a daycare.
“People might think because I have a daycare that this is one too but it's not,” Gomez said.
“Our goal is to have parents expand their relationship with their own kids. They can play with their kid, find out what they like and what skills they have and how they can improve on them. We are just in the background if they need it.”
As for how the opening day went, both mother and daughter said the day was a huge success.
“It was full from about 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. There were lots of people here; the Happy Wadlers area was full of babies,” Madrigal said.
“Lots of parents were saying, ‘I've been waiting for something like this in Squamish.’ It was such a nice feeling to hear.”
One session at Tiny Tots Gym costs $25, which grants entry for one adult and one child. For every additional child, it costs $10 and $5 for an additional adult.
Gomez said the family are working on creating punch passes, and membership cards as well. Walk-ins are welcome.
For more information on Tiny Tots Gym,
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