The Play Place Offers Sports Instruction To Young Kids in Elmsford

The Play Place, an indoor space attached to Bright Horizon Treetops Schools, boasts small fields, short nets, and light rackets to facilitate learning, all perfect for kids ages 10 and younger.

The Play Place offers sports lessons to kids ages 10 and younger in Elmsford.

If you’ve ever been to an elementary school, you’ve noticed that everything, from the tiny chairs to the knee-high bathroom sinks, is child-centered and designed to be kid-accessible. But Shawn Dyer, owner of The Play Place in Elmsford, noticed the same thinking did not apply to children’s sports. Dyer, father of four, says, “You put a kid on a standard-sized field or court, and it’s overwhelming.”

The Play Place, with a grand opening planned for June 15, has a different approach to sports instruction for kids ages 10 and younger. It’s an indoor space attached to Bright Horizon Treetops Schools and boasts smaller fields, shorter nets, and lighter rackets to facilitate learning. The Play Place is both spacious and wide-open: there are no walls except for the bathrooms and two party rooms.

“Parents can watch their 4-year-old in one corner and their 6-year old in the other and know that they’re safe and that they’re learning,” Dyer says. The Play Place offers a variety of programs, including tennis, rugby, soccer, flag football, an indoor play structure, and an after-school program.