About the Project Have you ever wished that Alexandria had an indoor playground for your infants, toddlers or preschoolers? Do you long for a safe, padded place for young children to climb, jump, scramble and play on cold or rainy days? We aim to fulfill that wish. The Alexandria Soft Playroom will be an indoor fun room for children under the age of 6. Located at Chinquapin Park Recreation Center (3210 King Street), its development is spearheaded by an ad-hoc group of parents with the help of The Natural Exploreum, a local non-profit organization, and the City of Alexandria, Va. For those not familiar with a soft playroom, our model is the soft playroom at Lee District RECenter at 6601 Telegraph Rd., Franconia, VA, in Fairfax County. (Visit the center’s web site to learn more.) But our hope is to be different from the Lee RECenter room too. Inspiration for the room has come from many venues, including children’s museums and play spaces around the country. Planning for the playroom has been progressing since 2006, and there is great potential for a multitude of uses. Ideas have included: Classes for the public offered through Alexandria Parks and Recreation Department from birth to age 6. Open to the public for special community celebrations, receptions, etc. Open to the public for free-play for a small fee per child – just come and hang out! (Room will have maximum capacity limits.) Available for private bookings and special events, such as birthday parties. Available for private bookings for group or individual use for children with disabilities. Operational guidelines would be determined by the city of Alexandria, but would likely be very close to Lee District RECenter’s operational guidelines. Fees for various room uses will be subsidized by the city, so they will remain low. If you would like to volunteer in our fundraising, there’s plenty to do! We can always use extra hands in help with neighborhood outreach and more. Please e-mail us at softplayroom@gmail.com with your interests, and we’ll get you involved! Every little bit helps, even if you just forward this web address to your neighborhood listserv. Thank you!