Walt Disney was as inspired as he was accurate when he said, “Our greatest natural resource is the minds of our children.” Dr. Amber Bartlett can attest to this first hand because her son, Asher, is the one who had the idea for her new business, Asher’s Sandbox, in Plympton. After attending the grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony, Bartlett told the Express a little bit about her new business and what it brings to the community.
Express: Please share a bit about your inspiration for Asher’s Sandbox.
Bartlett: “I had my son later in life and found myself struggling to connect with other parents in the same stage, and I worried that as an only child my poor kid was stuck with just me and no friends! One day my son saw an ad for an indoor sandbox play park and said “Mommy, you supposed to take me there!”. I filed it away in the back of my head that it was a cool idea. Then I was driving on Main St, two seconds from my house, saw a space for lease and it hit me…it would be perfect to offer a unique option for building community right in my own town!”
Express: How long has this process taken to complete and can you share some insight regarding the design and work that went into starting this business?
Bartlett: “I don’t waste time so it went relatively quickly! It started with an idea, then a business plan, then approval from the town for a permit, signing a lease, starting construction and being ready to open. All in all, from idea to opening, took around 6 months. It was so rewarding to take a blank square space and then see the vision in my head become reality.”
Express: What has been the biggest challenge with this project?
Bartlett: “Being my own project manager, along with running two other businesses, wasn’t my smartest move! And getting 80,000 pounds of sand from South Carolina to Plympton, MA took extreme coordination, along with an in-depth knowledge of sand, which I never imagined I’d be an expert in!”
Express: What do you hope Asher’s Sandbox will offer to the community?
Bartlett: “This is what I’m most excited about! I want Asher’s Sandbox to be a place where friendships are made, imaginations are encouraged, and fun memories are made. I really want a place where kids can play and explore and parents can choose to participate or to get some reading done, knowing their kids are in a contained, safe space. I also want it to be a resource of community support – we are currently having local students come in to paint murals on the wall so they can showcase their gifts, and we are planning a big clothing/toy swap event. There are so many more ideas like that in our idea vault’!”
Express: What is the structure of the business in terms of offerings? Is it available to rent out? Do you offer parties or classes or other special services?
Bartlett: “We are really aiming to make this a space for children and adults to enjoy. We offer open play sessions for children ages 1-8. Weekday mornings, open play sessions include a themed activity for younger children: Monday is Storytime, Tuesday is Social Club, Thursday is Music & Movement, and Friday is Adventure Club. We offer activities such as craft workshops, sensory box workshops, holiday events (Easter egg hunt & bunny photos!), various character meet and greets (think princess, Paw Patrol, etc.), educational sessions, and yoga classes. We’ve even had business owners host info sessions for potential clients in our event room, while the clients’ children play in the sand. No babysitter required = higher attendance! We also have a great event room for birthday parties, business meetings, corporate events, networking events, dance classes, etc. The Sandbox Library is also in there, which is a Leave a Book/Take a Book for all children to take advantage of. The ideas are endless!”
Express: What else would you like to tell the community about Asher’s Sandbox?
Bartlett: “We want Asher’s Sandbox to be a place that is known in the community for being supportive, engaging, clean, safe, and FUN! We are intentional about listening to what people want or need in this area of family, children, and community so feedback is always welcome. You can always reach out via email
at info@asherssandbox.com, www.asherssandbox.com is where all info & bookings can be found, and our socials are always full of current info!”