Quantcast

The DNAinfo archives brought to you by WNYC.
Read the press release here.

Drop-In Play Space for Kids and Caregivers Opens in Clinton Hill

 Busy Bodies, a community play space for children and caregivers, is now open at 1004 Fulton Street.
Busy Bodies Opens on Fulton Street
View Full Caption

CLINTON HILL — A recently opened play space is giving children and their caregivers a new spot to beat the heat this summer.

Busy Bodies, which opened three weeks ago at 1004 Fulton St., offers children and adults an open play area filled with toys and activities, as well daily classes like Spanish music sing-a-long and baby-and-me yoga.

Parents can sign their kids up for weekly or monthly memberships, or they can drop in without having to sign up for classes in advance. 

Co-founder Andrea Dillon, who also helps run several local bars and restaurants, said she and her husband Ben decided to open Busy Bodies after trying to find similar spaces for their daughter Maxine when she was born in 2014.

“I would go to Manhattan, I would go to Park Slope, I would go to all these other places and try out all these classes and they were never convenient,” Dillon explained. “They were overpriced, they were too far, and I knew I was staying here so I thought I’d give it a try.”

She said the biggest difference between her space and similar businesses is the ability to drop-in for classes.

“I want people to be able to walk in at any time, because you really don’t know what your kid’s going to be doing at 11 a.m. on Thursdays for the next eight weeks,” Dillon said. 

Busy Bodies’ classes include art, music, yoga, and movement for children under 1 to 4 years old on weekdays and kids up to third grade on weekends, as well as a weekly lactation support group and an introduction to pregnancy class for moms-to-be.

The classes and play sessions will give children a chance to socialize with other kids and spend time in a new environment for a part of their day.

“A lot of the kids that come here aren’t in day care and they need the chance to be around other children, which is really important,” Dillon said. “Novelty is huge for kids.”

The space is also available for open play sessions, at which children and their caregivers can stop by to use the 1,000-square-foot indoor space. It includes a padded play area, art supplies, toys and a jungle gym, as well as a private backyard where kids can roam around outside and in the shade.

“It’s just a safe place to come and relax while your child can come do other things,” Dillon said.

Classes and open play cost $20 to per session to drop in, or $17 per session with a 10-class pass. Unlimited weekly passes are $45 and unlimited monthly passes are $160. 

Parents can also sign up for a trial play group session for just $10.

Busy Bodies will also be available to rent out for birthday parties and other events.

For a full schedule and list of services, visit busybodiesbrooklyn.com