NOTABLE NEWS, EVENTS AND EFFORTS HAPPENING IN VIBRANT CLARK COUNTY.

City Play for Kids Brings Drop-In Fun to Fisher’s Landing

Laura and Greg Silva loved Portland Children’s Museum as kids growing up in the Portland/Vancouver metro area, so naturally the couple couldn’t wait to take their own kids there someday. “Truthfully,” says Laura, who grew up in Fisher’s Landing, where she and Greg now live with their two young kids, “we are still big kids ourselves and enjoy playing with our kiddos.” Unfortunately, PCM closed down in 2021, leaving the Silvas and thousands of other families wishing for more local, indoor, exploratory play spaces.

So, one rainy afternoon last year, Laura and Greg found themselves talking about how someone should create “a place for kids to get away from the screens and have a safe, clean place to play and imagine.”

What started as an off-hand comment turned quickly into a business plan and then a start-up loan to bring what they loved as children to life in their very own community. After securing a space, and spending months designing and building, the couple opened City Play for Kids in Fisher’s Landing in July.

City Play offers drop-in playtime for kids ages 1-8 in 90-minute time increments, all within their mini indoor city for kids, built almost entirely by Greg, who is a contractor by trade. “Your kiddo can be a firefighter gearing up to jump in their firetruck to save the city,” says Laura, “an essential grocery store worker, a specialty chef and restaurateur, an important veterinarian helping an animal get back to health, or an exceptional homemaker, all in one visit.” The mini city is stocked with real tools for kids to pretend with, and sensory bins are filled with toys that rotate weekly “so there is always something fresh for kids to discover and enjoy.”

The reception from the community when City Play opened in July was overwhelming, with a waitlist to get in on some days. “It’s been a crazy whirlwind!” says Laura. “Amazing, but lightning speed.” As the fall and winter weather turns more families indoors, City Play will likely become a family favorite for safe, imaginative play in Vancouver.

City Play for Kids is open 7 days a week, no reservations required, and is located at 16420 SE McGillivray Blvd., Suite #106. Check cityplayforkids.com for current hours and pricing.

IDEAFest Event Aims to Foster Dialogue and Change  

The founder of VANTalks, a TED-inspired event featuring Clark County-based speakers sharing powerful ideas on stage, is expanding his vision to kick off another event aimed at bringing community together to enact change. Kevin Hiebert is the owner of Resonate Consulting, a firm that facilitates communication and collaboration within boards and leadership teams. Building on the success of VANTalks, Hiebert is now additionally producing IDEAFest, a sister event that also centers on exchanging community-vitalizing ideas, but in a more collaborative environment.

“During many COVID nights I began to ponder what is next for VANTalks,” Hiebert says. “My imagination turned to, what if our community could host a one-day gathering where we would bring together all of our changemakers, visionaries and general troublemakers into a room together where we could talk together and dream of what we as a grassroots movement could continue to do to bring local change.”

Hiebert’s imagination will soon become reality as the inaugural IDEAFest event takes place on November 4, 2023, 8:30 am-4:40 pm at Groove Nation Community Space in Downtown Vancouver. Attendees can expect a day focused on interactivity and dialogue around shaping our community from the grassroots level. “The participants there will set the agenda for what they want to talk about,” he adds. Hiebert says he hopes “the conversation and dialogue we have during this idea exchange will fuel networks and grow great partnerships together.” Cost to attend IDEAFest is $18 and includes lunch. Register at tickettailor.com/events/resonate2/920086.

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