The space at 505 B West Martintown Rd. in North Augusta will this fall house an indoor play area called the Village Kin.
- Elizabeth Hustad/Staff
The space at 505 B West Martintown Rd. in North Augusta will this fall house an indoor play area called the Village Kin.
- Elizabeth Hustad/Staff
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North Augusta reporter Elizabeth Hustad is a reporter with The Post and Courier North Augusta. She covers government, growth and development, and business. Elizabeth is a graduate of the University of Minnesota and previously worked with a Twin Cities weekly. Her work has appeared in the Minneapolis Star Tribune and MinnPost. To support local journalism, sign up for a subscription.See our current offers»
Elizabeth Hustad
The space at 505 B West Martintown Rd. in North Augusta will this fall house an indoor play area called the Village Kin.
- Elizabeth Hustad/Staff
The space at 505 B West Martintown Rd. in North Augusta will this fall house an indoor play area called the Village Kin.
- Elizabeth Hustad/Staff
An indoor play area, with coffee and conversation for their accompanying adults, is coming to North Augusta this fall.
“To be able to have a meeting place where we know that our kiddos are playing safely with imaginative play and not just a screen but, like, having things that are going to engage their mind.” This is the concept that Shelby Dodd, owner of the Village Kin, presented to the North Augusta Board of Zoning Appeals on June 4.
Dodd was at the BZA to get the approval on the business, which was a membership-only venture required her to get a special exception from the board for it operate at 505 West Martintown Road, below CornerStone Family Chiropractic.
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Neither daycare (parents remain on site) nor just a stop by and play (it’s all membership-based), nor even indoor recreation (it’s not a skating rink, as Dodd noted), the Village Kin is “just a really unique thing that doesn’t fall within a table, so we’re kind of at a disadvantage there,” Dodd said.
Hence, her appearance at the BZA: North Augusta planning director Tommy Paradise said it was during the business licensing process that it became apparent an extra step at the BZA was needed. “This one, I really struggled in trying to pigeonhole it into what specific use it would be,” he said.
Now, that’s all been cleared, and according to the Village Kin website, fall 2024 is the expected opening.
The Village Kin is expected to be open Monday through Saturday with some hours reserved for semi-private classes or drop-off play. But mostly, the parents would be on site.
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The semi-private classes are the Tiny Movers and Tiny Makers classes that Dodd said are meant to get kids ages 5 and under to engage in more sensory play with movement or crafts.
Though she won’t have her own cafe on site, Dodd said that Augusta’s recently opened Trellis Coffee Bar will have baked goods for sale at the Village Kin, and the coffee will be poured gratis for members.
Beyond the play itself, the intent is also to bring in those who can help new parents, and Dodd said she’ll be partnering with nutritionist and lactation specialists to give added supports during Parents Night In events.
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Elizabeth Hustad covers politics, government and business forThe Post and Courier North Augusta. Follow her on X@ElizabethHustad.
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Elizabeth Hustad
North Augusta reporter
Elizabeth Hustad is a reporter with The Post and Courier North Augusta. She covers government, growth and development, and business.
Elizabeth is a graduate of the University of Minnesota and previously worked with a Twin Cities weekly. Her work has appeared in the Minneapolis Star Tribune and MinnPost.
To support local journalism, sign up for a subscription.See our current offers»
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