Stay and Play is celebrating the reopening of its popular summer outdoors water slides tomorrow with a Slide into Summer food-raiser for the Shoreline Soup Kitchens and Pantries (SSKP). Instead of an admission fee, the center is accepting donations of non-perishable food for the regional soup kitchen.
The SSKP provides approximately 900,000 meals worth of food each year to families in the Connecticut shoreline towns of Lyme and Old Lyme along with Essex, Chester, Clinton, Madison, Old Saybrook, East Lyme, Killingworth, Westbrook and Deep River.
“Being a part of the community is important to us,” says Roger Rose, Stay and Play owner and founder, who started the food-raiser tradition to kick off last year’s water slide season. “We’re excited that summer is finally here, but warmer weather doesn’t reduce the needs that people in this region have for food.”
Tomorrow, instead of the standard admission of $9, or one punch per child on Stay and Play’s popular Play Pass, donation of non-perishable food to the Soup Kitchens will give families with children under the age of 13 access to the center’s outdoor waterslides, the Play Room for kids up to age 7 or the Game Room for the older kids.
The Saturday reopening activities include Live Music by BossGuitar featuring Stay and Play Dads Jonathan Kehew of Corner Music and Chris Billeau of Connecticut River Concierge, and hula hooping with Professional Hooper Maia Bingham of Every Body Hoops. JAMSS restaurant of Old Saybrook will be selling their delicious food, in addition to Stay and Play’s nutritious snacks, beverages and summer ice cream treats.
This is the fourth year for the seasonal water slides, which are available for private birthday parties as well as being open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., weather permitting. The four lanes of splashing fun are set up daily in a fenced in area, with a shaded area for kids and adults. There is no standing water in the slides, a safety factor for children. There are slides for both larger and smaller children, plus a splash area and water tables for tots.
“Since the slides are all about getting wet, we provide indoor bathrooms for changing,” says Rose. “Or, just show up in your swim wear and remember to bring dry clothes to change into for the inside activities.”
Stay and Play has continued to expand since opening its original Play Room in 2008 for children under 7. The Play Room, pictured right, features slides, padded flooring and bouncy toys in a clean space to run, jump and play.
Kids can enjoy healthy light snacks in the School Bus Café, a real school bus repurposed for the Play Room. For adults, Rose stocks Bean and Leaf roasted gourmet coffee and signature wraps from Tissa’s and other Old Saybrook eateries.
In January 2012, Stay and Play launched its Game Room for children under 13, with games ranging from foosball, air hockey and skeeball to bumper pool and shuffleboard tables, as well as Nok-Hockey and basketball hoops. Younger children also can enjoy the Game Room, with parental supervision. Parents of older children can take a break on the overstuffed sofas in the Play Room or join in the fun in the Game Room. A new LEGO pit in the Game Room is proving to be very popular.
More than 800 area residents volunteer to help prepare warm meals and deliver food through the SSKP. They serve meals seven days a week, rotating daily between eight different locations in the shoreline region. Grocery distributions to people in need are made at 5 locations on four days of the week. The SKKP, which relies on donations and food purchased from area wholesalers and food banks, calculates that a pound of food in Connecticut costs $1.50, on average. See shorelinesoupkitchens.org . Monetary donations to SSKP also will be accepted.
Stay and Play is open 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, admission is $9 per child, no charge for adults, Play Passes are available, as are reduced rates on weekdays after 3 pm. All of the facilities are available for parties, including private, after-hour events for children and adults.
Waterslide status will be posted online at www.stayandplayllc.com or “Like” Stay and Play on Facebook for updates.
For more information, call Stay at Play at 860-395-4446.