Kaci Manion says she was filling a need for Henderson—and especially for moms and dads—when she opened the Imagination Oasis Play Café.
But it was not only for Henderson. Kaci needed it, too.
Manion and husband, Logan, have three children—Tucker, 7; Oakley, 4; and Kinley, 3. After Kinley came unexpectedly—14 months after big sister, Oakley—Kaci said she struggled severely with postpartum depression. She said she needed to get out of the house and find connection.
“I needed a place with other moms,” she said.
For a website that is planned, Kaci wrote that in her postpartum depression, she struggled with deep loneliness, the weight of losing my sense of self, the heartbreak of past miscarriages and several health issues that made her early years of motherhood difficult…”–all the while trying to show up and be the best mom I could be.”
In those times, she wrote that she wished for a “space in Henderson where I could just be. A place where I didn’t have to pretend everything was okay, where I could connect with other parents walking a similar path, and where I could breathe–while playing, bonding and healing with my child.”
It wasn’t until last year, though, when she could start taking steps to make that happen.
Last summer, Kaci and Logan signed a lease to take over the old Lumberyard Events Center, and earlier this month on March 7, the business celebrated its grand opening.
The first week Imagination Oasis was open, 202 kids walked through the door, which was a reassurance that their idea was filling a gap in town, Kaci said.
“It reminded us that this is what Henderson needed,” she said.
That’s not the only reassurance. A short Facebook post the Hendersonian made about the business on March 10 garnered—as of this writing—some 156,000 views, easily the most viewed post on this newspaper’s Facebook page in the month.
The Imagination Oasis offers an indoor play area with a castle and pirate ship playset and three slides coming down from it. There are also tables with small games and themed rooms full of toys and games connected to the theme.
One interesting room is “Manion’s Garage,” which according to Kaci is dedicated to Logan’s father Kevin, who died last year. Kevin Manion was a huge fan of Hot Wheels, and in his honor, the room contains his collection of the toy cars. There’s also “Tucker’s Game Room” where kids can play video games that keep them moving.
The play café also serves food and drinks, including nachos, soft pretzels, hot dogs, energy drinks, coffee and dirty sodas, which are sodas with syrup added.
It costs $15 per child and $12 for an additional child. Kaci said that price is for all-day, so parents can take their child home for lunch and a nap, and then they can come back after without paying another entry fee.
Hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
