Family Tides
By Madison Russ
From fighting fires to running a beauty salon, kids can let their imaginations run wild at a newly opened indoor play space in Cape May Court House.
Adventure Nook, which opened in April, features interactive, themed playhouses designed to spark creativity and exploration.
Co-owner Jeff Wallace, a longtime local business owner, spent years working with children as a coach and running a mobile enrichment program business. Recognizing the need for more spaces that encourage imaginative play, he teamed up with co-owner Rachael Fulford to create the nearly 2,000-square-foot venue.
“What I recognized in my experience with kids over the past 20 years is that there is a lack of focus on engaging their creative little mindsets,” said Wallace. “I wanted to create a safe venue where we could foster the type of imaginative and creative growth that I believe is pertinent, particularly at an early childhood age.”
The venue includes a seating area and party space along with ice cream, a variety of snacks and even cold-brew coffee for sale.
The play space, designed to resemble a miniature village, features several immersive areas: a theater where kids can dress up and put on shows, a construction zone with a ride-on excavator and tools, a safari playground with Jumparoos and a rock climbing boulder with a cave, a post office, a beauty salon, an animal hospital, a barnyard with rideable horses, a supermarket, café and more. Wallace said they also have more features in the works.
Wallace, who hand-built all the structures, said one unique aspect is the ability to switch up the layout and activities to keep the play space fresh and engaging.
“I conceptualized and built them from scratch. One of the things I did is that they’re interchangeable, and I can change the buildings around and stuff like that, so when holidays come around, we can become a Candy Land village or a little haunted house — whatever we want to do that is interchangeable, so it never gets stagnant or old,” he explained.
Wallace said he and Fulford, both parents themselves, designed the space with children and parents in mind, making sure it’s both manageable and secure to put parents at ease.
“One of the things I stress about as a parent going to larger places is ‘Where’s my kid? Where’s my kid? And who’s around?’” he said, explaining that Adventure Nook is contained in a way that parents can always see where their child is.
“It’s a very clean, well-kept space. It’s contained. The parents are relaxed when they’re here, and they appreciate that. They can sit and have a cup of coffee while their child plays and sort of set their mind at ease while the kids are having fun,” he said. “We disinfect every toy in here two times a day, literally. It’s a labor of love, to say the least.”
Wallace credits Fulford with fine-tuning the intricate details that bring each playhouse to life, such as realistic-looking food in the supermarket and medical gadgets in the animal hospital.
Those touches allow children to fully immerse themselves, and he said it’s not unusual for a child to spend an hour or more in just one play area.
“We could just build some buildings and throw a couple of things in and sit at the front and let kids come play, but what fun is that? The need is deeper than that, and that’s what we recognized. So, we’re really honing in on all the details,” he said. “To engage the children on a deeper level, to induce that sort of high-level dynamic and creativity that we’re looking for, you really need to hone in on the details and give them a ton of options within every one option.”
While little ones will enjoy the wide variety of toys at Adventure Nook, Wallace said the “sweet spot” is children between 2 and 8 years old, though the space is designed to capture the imaginations of a wide range of ages.
“My main goal here is to allow kids to be kids in a safe environment where parents feel comfortable, and that’s kind of what you can expect when you come here: an area that will keep your child engaged for hours on end,” he said.
Adventure Nook is open seven days a week. Admission is $20 per child, with discounts for each additional child. Caregivers are free.
For more information and current operating hours, visit Adventure Nook’s website at adventurenookplay.com or follow them on Instagram at adventurenooknj.
Madison Russ is an award-winning journalist, copy editor and adjunct professor of communication based in Atlantic County. An Ocean City native, Madison is passionate about telling stories that matter to locals, often spotlighting nonprofits and exploring the area’s vibrant arts scene.
