Ashley’s Playhouse Drop-In Child Care (Local, Austin, TX)
Ashley’s Playhouse is a drop-in childcare center for children ages 6 weeks to 12 years old where children learn best by doing what they love — playing!
Bob and I had not had a day date to ourselves since Christmas. After six months, it was time we had a morning to ourselves! We have no local immediate family members (the closest grandparents are over 1,300 miles away) and the girls’ daycare is closed on the weekends. We have been looking at different drop-in child care services and had even visited a few different services over the last months in the Austin area but didn’t get that warm feeling of goodness Bob and I want to get before we leave our kids in someone’s care. Sure, we are overprotective, but we are also keenly aware that if we didn’t feel comfortable with the girls’ childcare, we wouldn’t have a lot of fun with our alone time. Ashley’s Playhouse kept popping up as a place for us to try for drop-in care and until today, we just held off. Now I wish we had not waited!
Ashley’s Playhouse main indoor play area
This morning Bob and I decided to visit Ashley’s Playhouse in the Anderson Mill area of Austin with the hopeful attempt of having a day date. No one at Ashley’s knew that I was ‘Momma’s Bacon’ and we knew we could just walk out if the place felt uncomfortable. Located on a corner lot in what looks like a typical strip-mall, we were both pleasantly surprised as soon as we walked into the warm and vibrant front office of the childcare center. Almost immediately, Bob and I were met with smiling childcare providers, happy kids, and a play area that looked like a child’s fantasy. After we were shown the very awesome check-in process where parents use their fingerprints to sign in/out their kiddos, we were given a complete tour by the very helpful Director, D’Andrea (Dee) Turnley, that included a movie theater (for kids ages two and up), an outside and inside playground and a really fun interactive overhead projector called Eye-Play (which is amazing!) I had almost hoped they had an adults room for Bob and I to stay and hang out! We were ready to leave our kids in the care of Ashley’s Playhouse and, for the first time, Bob and I truly feel at ease with our weekend childcare option.
Who is Ashley?
Ashley Pax is the owner of Ashley’s Playhouse and she is a former Ernst & Young auditor (she has a Masters in Accounting from UT) before pursing her dream of opening her own childcare business. Ashley’s Playhouse has been open for over a year in the Anderson Arbor area on Hwy 183 and it is truly a wonderful place that kids will love and parents can trust. Ashley is active in her church, enjoys spending time with family and friends and is an avid runner. Ashley’s accounting skills are very much on display at Ashley’s Playhouse where children can earn “Playhouse Dollars” that they can cash in for prizes.
Don’t let Ashley’s Playhouse’s basic brick storefront deceive you – there is a magical world when you open its doors!
Bob and I left Brooke and Brie for almost four hours as we had breakfast, walked around Lakeline Mall’s Farmers Market and had a relaxing lunch sans kids before picking up the girls’ afterwards. It was a truly relaxing time and we felt that Ashley’s Playhouse had put our minds at ease that the girls were in good hands. We had set up the girls’ lunch that morning (you have a small variety of choices and daily snacks are included in the hourly price) and we were aware of the daily schedule (located here online) which includes things like Kid Yoga and Arts and crafts.
Brooke playing on Ashley’s Playhouse Eye-Play System
Momma’s Bacon and Family Highly Recommend Ashley’s Playhouse for Drop-In Childcare!
Ashley’s Playhouse is a wonderful place for parents who want to do drop-in childcare in Austin. They are open late on weekdays and open from 8AM until MIDNIGHT on Saturdays. This is the perfect arrangement for busy families who need a few kid-free hours to run errands, exercise, have DATES, work flexibly hours or just simply need a few hours to yourself. We are talking about using Ashley’s Playhouse services again next weekend for more daddy and mommy alone time! Prices are very reasonable and prorated to the minute after the first hour. See more information about Ashley’s Playhouse rates here.
Q&A with Ashley Pax:
Q: What is your childcare philosophy at Ashley’s Playhouse?
A: At Ashley’s Playhouse we strive to create an environment that kids love, parents trust and employees are proud to be a part of. Each visit is an opportunity to create a fun and magical experience for the kids. My favorite thing is when the kids are getting picked up and they don’t want to leave or they are begging to come back the next day. It is reassuring to both me and the parents that they are having fun.
Q: Going from an accounting auditor to a childcare facility business owner seems like a huge transition. What drove your decision to open Ashley’s Playhouse?
A: I always knew I wanted to combine my business sense with my love for children. I’ve been babysitting since I was 12 and was a nanny throughout college, so I was just waiting for the right opportunity to come up. When I heard of the drop-in childcare concept, I knew it’s exactly what I wanted to do. It’s fun to see some of my old audit clients come in and remember me telling them that opening a daycare was my dream. I still get to practice my accounting skills, however now it is just keeping my own books, which is way more fun than auditing someone else’s.
Q: What do you envision for the future of Ashley’s Playhouse?
A: My vision changes daily. Sometimes I think it would be fun to open multiple locations and get to serve more families, but it is also fun getting to be so involved at my one location where I know all the kids, families, and caregivers. 2015 is my year to enjoy getting past the one-year mark and focus on providing quality childcare, we will see what happens after that.
Want to guarantee a spot for your little one? Reserve online for Ashley’s Playhouse infant room. They book up fast, so plan ahead: http://ow.ly/LS9qC
Hours:
- Monday-Thursday 1 AM-10 PM
- Friday 7 AM-Midnight
- Saturday 8 AM-Midnight
Brooke using her “Playhouse Dollars” to cash in a prize for a bouncy ball
Ashley’s Playhouse Drop-In Child Care (Local, Austin, TX)
http://www.ashleysplayhouseaustin.com
Rates:
- Infants under 18 months $12.00/hour
- Children 18 months and older $10.00/hour
- 40% OFF for SIBLINGS!
- Blocks of time are available for a discount
- There is a one-time registration fee of $40.00 per family
Momma's Bacon 
Was just curious if you ever visited Wannaplaycare? What your thoughts were? My husband and I haven’t had a date night or date day, in over a year, we are definitely antsy, but like you I’m overprotective and get nervous putting my 1 yr old in just anyones care. Prior to moving here, about a week ago, our son was in a full time daycare at Bright Horizons in West Seattle. It was awesome and I loved his teachers, since we’ve moved here, I get the opportunity to be a stay at home mom, but once in a while I’ll need to run an errand or like I mentioned, go on a date day or night, so any thoughts you had would be much appreciated. BTW, I thought your review of Ashley’s Playhouse was super informative and well written!
Hi Lisa! We have registered at Wannaplaycare Lakeline, but have not used it. They are open on Sundays while Ashley’s is not. We thought it was good to have a backup plan on Sundays, but we love Ashley’s as a go-to childcare place for after school hours. 😀
I’m glad you are looking at options. Stay at Home parents need breaks and date nights! Good for you! I’d love to hear how you liked Wannaplaycare if you use the service.