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Youth
June 21 - July 4, 2014
25
Great Play of Chandler offers fun and safe camps for kids BY ALISON STANTON
As the parents of four children, Patrick O’Halleran and Jen Howell understand how important it is for kids to have fun while staying physically active. Although their kids now range in age from 17 to 21, they remember how challenging it could be keeping young children busy and happy during the long and hot summer months. As co-owners of Great Play of Chandler, O’Halleran and Howell are committed to helping foster a love of physical activity in children, while also providing their parents with a welcoming place to come and meet other moms and dads. “We provide great activities for kids, but we’ve also seen many parents making new friends while they are here,” O’Halleran says. From classes for young kids to summer camps, birthday parties and more, O’Halleran says Great Play of Chandler offers something for all kids age 6 months to 12 years. “The beauty of Great Play is our inside gym,” he says. A patented “Interactive Arena” on three of the four walls uses a combination of computer technology, image projection and directional sound so kids feel like they are part of their own Wii game while taking part in physical fitness activities. “We also have open gym times six days a week for $10 a session, which is a
great opportunity for parents and their kids to drop in.” The summer camps, which Howell says run through July 31, are especially popular. These include adventure camp for kids ages 3 to 6 and sports skills camps for kindergartners through fifth grade. To help make sure that kids are playing with others close to their size and age, participants in the classes are 18 to 24 months apart, and the curriculum changes every 19 weeks. O’Halleran and Howell took over as co-owners of Great Play of Chandler last December. “I had worked for both Honeywell and American Express, and just wanted to do something different,” O’Halleran says. “Jen and I are both passionate about working with kids, so I left the corporate world, and within a month we went from not knowing what a franchise was to owning one. It’s been a nice opportunity for us and really exciting.” One of the first things they did, O’Halleran says, was repaint the gym and renovate the lobby. “We put in a lot of time cleaning the gym, and there’s been a lot of effort to make Great Play really clean,” he says. There’s also a strong emphasis on safety, with a 5 to 1 coach to child ratio. Both adults and kids are impressed with Great Play of Chandler’s bright, cheerful and welcoming interior, Howell says.
LEARNING TO THROW: Great Play of Chandler’s sports skills camps are a great way for young kids to learn the basics of baseball and other sports. Submitted photo
“When people walk in, I often hear them say, ‘Oh, I want to go here!’” she says. “It’s so different, and so alive with all of the music and colors.” Great Play of Chandler is located at 2855 W. Ray Rd., Chandler. For more
information, call (480) 726-7529 or visit www.greatplay.com/chandler. Alison Stanton is a freelance writer who lives in the East Valley. She can be reached at alison@santansun.com