Austintown business owner promoting hands-on play at new indoor learning space
Letting kids take the lead in unstructured playtime promotes healthy imaginations, builds resilience and encourages one-on-one interactions away from screens, according to the American Psychology Association.
That’s what Kayla Adair is bringing to Austintown as the founder of Wonder Village, a Montessori-inspired open play and learning space for kids, opening in the fall.
Before opening Wonder Village, she’d been a classroom teacher and behavior interventionist for 10 years. She received her B.S. in Education, teaching license in middle childhood language arts and master’s degree in intervention services at Youngstown State University.
Adair said being a stay-at-home mom caring for her two daughters is what inspired her to be a business owner.
During this time, Adair said she noticed a need for a space in the Mahoning Valley offering young children open and unstructured play, while giving parents a well-deserved break.
“Wonder Village isn’t just a play place,” Adair said. “It’s a space where children thrive, parents can exhale, and families discover their long-awaited village. Every detail was designed to meet the real needs of both kids and caregivers.”
Within hours of opening early membership registration for the indoor play space, Adair had 15 families sign up and had to close registrations online due to overwhelming response.
Jaime Neidhard is one of Wonder Village’s founding families.
“I’m so excited to be part of this community and to grow my village,” Neidhard said. “From the moment [Adair] started sharing the vision and purpose behind it, I knew this was something I wanted to be a part of.”
There are going to be parent and child workshops for learning and community building at Wonder Village, as well as rentals for private birthday parties and seasonal event.
Adair’s business offers classes designed for children between one and six years old to support early development through movement, creativity and connection, as well as newly-introduced programs for newborns.
The space also includes family-friendly restrooms, a private nursing station for caregivers and a café corner offering snacks and coffee called Nunnie’s Nook.
“We are so excited for our children to have a safe place that will feed their imaginations and let them do the hard work of childhood — play,” December Kauffman said. “We’re grateful to be part of this community.”
Adair is hosting a soft opening for Wonder Village at 11 a.m. Sept. 15 at 6000 Mahoning Ave. in Austintown, followed by a grand opening celebration on Oct. 4.
“We’re thrilled to welcome families this fall and look forward to building a lasting community together,” Adair said.
Open play begins Sept. 16; Wonder Village will be open from 9 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. Monday, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, 9 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. Thursday and 9 a.m. - noon on Saturday.
Visit the Wonder Village website for more information.
