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A different kind of babysitter
Dropping the kids off at the babysitter is a whole different experience in Gainesville these days. Last winter, Kid Drop Zone opened it's doors at Piedmont Center Plaza, giving parents a whole new concept of short-term day care.Kid Drop Zone is a giant indoor playground, explained manger Dennis Lee. Kids ages 2 to 12 can be dropped off for up to three hours while parents shop, go to the doctor or just take a nap. Parents can also stay to play with their children of any age.
“We're basically here for a place for kids to play,” Lee said, as he explained the layout of the facility, which is called the Nut House.
The Nut House is a giant play house where children can do things they can't do at home – slide on the banister and laundry chute, jump on the bed, swing from the grandfather clock, play dress-up and check out the secret passage.
Parents can either stay and play, leave their children for a few hours or relax and use the Wi-Fi in the parents' room.
“The key here is the staff,” Lee said. “We have a very energetic staff. We encourage them to meet everyone, greet everyone and play with the kids.”
The Nut House team doesn't just monitor, they participate, playing games and organizing activities with the children, he said.
Kid Drop Zone is owned by Mike and Shelby Biancaniello and Virginia Rafii, who have seven children between them. The Nut House is the original Kid Drop Zone but Lee said they are considering expanding to another location, possibly with a pirate ship or a circus.
The facility sees about 50 children a day, mostly elementary-school age, he said. During the school year, the week-day crowd is younger but traffic remains pretty steady year-round. Unlike a gym, Kid Drop Zone doesn't have a membership fee. Children join the club for free and only pay for use: $5 per hour per child or $3 per child for groups of 10 or more. Lee said the Nut House sees a number of parenting groups and au pair groups that take advantage of the group discount.
There are limits as to how many hours a child can spend at the facility each week and socks must be worn at all times. Kid Drop Zone is located at 6888 Piedmont Center Plaza, on Route 55 in Gainesville. For more information, visit www.kiddropzone.com or call 703-468-0664.
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