When Yulia Petatsky moved to Innisfil from Richmond Hill a few years ago, she loved its family-friendly vibe and having her grandchildren come for visits.
But besides the beach, there weren't many places for kids to meet and play together.
She along with her daughter, Sharon Kaprichenkov and son Vadim Petatsky, saw the need for space for kids to come and play, and parents could relax and socialize with one another too.
"There are so many young families around here...they need somewhere where they can take their kids," said Karpichenkov. "We started brainstorming ideas and we thought this would be a great place."
Petatsky and her daughter designed the child-sized imaginary town, with pretend stores and services and Vadim brought it to life constructing each set.
"It's a really unique idea compared to the other playgrounds," said Karpichenkov.
It took them just over a year to plan and design the playground inside the corner unit of the plaza on the corner of Innisfil Beach Road and St. John's Road.
The family was ready to open in spring 2020, however, due to the global pandemic, had to postpone their official opening until July 2020.
"It was quite slow, a lot of people were really worried about bringing their kids out," said Karpichenkov about the first few months of business, "But slowly and surely day to day people were coming in."
Inside is a colourful community of shops and services including a pizza parlour, hair salon, police station, a veterinarian, a grocery store, an airport and a fire station where kids can embrace imaginary play.
"It lets kids use their imagination," said Karpichenkov.
In the middle of the play village is a climbing structure for kids looking to burn off a little more steam set up in the middle of the playground, and for those looking for more hands-on creativity, a Lego Room and gated areas for babies to play in.
There is a small cafe area with snacks and refreshments available for purchase as well as spaced out tables and chairs for parents to sit and relax while watching their children play.
"Parents can have a coffee or tea, and conversation with friends which is important for parents," said Petatsky.
Throughout all the lockdowns over the past year, Kids-Ville has been able to remain open with enhanced safety protocols and guest limits.
To keep clients safe, hand sanitizer is made available around the facility, masks are worn and Plexiglass surrounds the front desk and cafe area.
A deep clean is conducted every two hours with a special disinfectant spray that makes for an easier, faster cleaning process. There are some elements to the play areas that have been modified for the safety of guests, including easy-to-clean toys.
Kids-Ville accepts walk-ins but pre-booking is encouraged. There is a 10 person guest limit as per provincial guidelines.
The playground also offers special two-hour private bookings for parents who would prefer private use of the facility with their own social and family bubbles.
"People seem to be enjoying it, we're having great reviews and feedback from our families around here," said Karpichenkov.
To learn more, visit their website here.