The Dexter Leader
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Kids reach new heights
A day of play at the TreeHouse
By Jackie Smith, Special Writer
PUBLISHED: July 24, 2008
Three-year-old Drew Bennett and his mom Jamie have been to Chelsea's TreeHouse a few times before and they return, Jamie said, because the indoor playground and restaurant is close to home and has a "nice atmosphere."
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"I think he likes it here because it's not quite as big (as other play places)," Bennett said. "He doesn't get overwhelmed."
She brought a book to read while she waited for as long her son wanted to play. After Jamie lent a hand to Drew's ascent up the play-scape, the two took a break to order something from the expanding TreeHouse menu.
Owner Michelle Balaka finds satisfaction in not only the accommodations the TreeHouse offers to parents, but also its dedication to the safety and play of her pint-size customers.
"It's fun to know that parents will stay for hours with their kids," the Chelsea resident said. "We have a group that comes every month because it's comfortable and easy."
The average amount of time groups spend is around three to four hours, Balaka said, which far exceed her original expectations.
Andi Evers and her mother Jackie are newcomers to the family fun center in the Clocktower Complex.
After watching her 4-year-old scurry through the playscape, Evers said the experience was nothing but positive.
"It's a safe place for her to play," Evers said, confirming the TreeHouse to be a "nice and calm" establishment.
Fabricating fun
Balaka's search for a play-place that adequately recognized the needs of her own children led to the creation of the TreeHouse in December 2006.
"I was a stay-at-home mom," she said. "Anywhere I went, nobody paid attention to kids' stuff."
It took Balaka a week to financially secure her playful idea with the bank, but a year of negotiations with city officials went by before her dreams became a reality.
Despite the idea being initially rejected, Balaka said she eventually had plenty of support from the community to carry out her objective.
"If I didn't have kids I wouldn't have chosen this path," she said. "When I opened this I decided I was going to do it right."
In September 2007, Balaka added to the excitement with an upper level. It gave the play-scape an area for birthday parties and additional activities, making her facilities even more adult- and kid-friendly.
Kids can enjoy themselves on slides, swings and bridges on either of the two levels, while parents can lounge comfortably at close range.
Overlooking the play area are observation windows from the TreeHouse's upper level, Balaka said, which often come in handy for the parents who bring in work to do while watching their sons and daughters.
The needs of adults and children are met with an assortment of appetizing and healthy snacks.
To avoid excluding any preference, Balaka said she serves Zingerman's coffee and products that are completely peanut-free.
For those allergic to peanut butter, she offers an alternative made completely from sunflower seeds called Sunbutter.
"We get kids that have peanut allergies every day," Balaka said. "I have kids that can't play anywhere ... I want them to be able to come here."
She assures that each child's hands are sanitized when they walk through the door, socks are worn at all times while on the tree-themed equipment and surfaces are regularly bleached.
"We're super clean ... because we care," Balaka said, noting that the TreeHouse "doesn't keep itself clean."
Future fun, feasible fame
Balaka plans to take all the same qualities of the Chelsea TreeHouse with her as she prepares to open a new location in the Chicago area.
It should be a done deal in October, she said.
Just 25 miles north of Chicago, the proposed TreeHouse will have 7,700 square feet of fun to bring to the densely populated area, compared to the 1,200-square-foot space in Chelsea.
The ambience of the TreeHouse has recently brought up more "interesting and unexpected" opportunities, Balaka said.
The Web site ParentsConnect.com nominated her playscape for Nickelodeon's "2008 Parent's Pick" in the state of Michigan. She said she was the only indoor play place to receive the honor.
The local TreeHouse is part of the historic Clocktower Complex on North Main Street, which once housed the Glazier Stove Works Co. With its recently renovated courtyard, it highlights a certain ambience that Balaka said she wants to put into the Chicago playplace.
"You can't beat a 100-year-old building," she said. "I'm going to try and make it have the same charm."
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