PRESS RELEASE The Patriot Ledger- Nov 29th, 2003

YEAR-ROUND PLAYGROUND: Scalliwags opens its doors to three levels of toys, trampolines and games– and safety is priority NO. 1

Neither rain nor snow can keep postal workers off the street, but it can sure keep kids indoors. And that’s where Scalliwags comes in. The new indoor playground in Pembroke opens this weekend to three levels of shoots, slides and soft trampolines and enough toys and games to occupy kids of all ages.

At least that’s the plan. Scalliwags is designed for kids ages 2 to 12, but those a little older and a little younger will find their niche, according to Sheila Farragher-Gemma, who created the playground with her husband Tony.

"We want to cater to everyone," Farragher-Gemma said. "We want kids to remember what a good time their childhood was, and make this place a part of it."

That holds true for parents, too. Farragher-Gemma said she and her husband, parents of two girls, ages 5 and 7, performed demographic research and studied the success and failure of other indoor play spaces before deciding to create Scalliwags.

One frightening aspect for parents, they discovered, was blind spots in structures which made it hard to see children for minutes at a time.

The 10,000-square-foot area that Scalliwags occupies made it possible to set up second level "viewing areas" that allow parents several vantage points to see inside the structures and track their children’s movements, said Farragher-Gemma. The play structures are also soft and bendable, making it easy to see children as they play.

"We focused on blind spots, because those were the biggest concerns parents had," Farragher-Gemma said. "We made sure that children would be visible at all times."

Additionally, security cameras have been placed in every room.

"It’s important that parents have a stress-free time," Farragher-Gemma said.

Farragher-Gemma, an EMT, said Scalliwags is an extension of her profession. She and her husband run a first aid company called Citizens Providing Rescue, which works with schools and non-profit organizations to teach students and staff basic lifesaving techniques.

She said a friend in Ireland gave her the idea for an indoor playground.

She started one up, and my husband and I fell in love with the idea," Farragher-Gemma said. "That was in April, and we’ve been working hard to make this happen ever since."

The main room on the first floor, with bright colors such as yellow, purple and green, consists of a large playground and an inflatable balloon where children can climb up and slide down. It also has a snack and redemption counter for prizes. The toddler room, a quiet area for younger children, has chalkboard walls, plush toys, a reading area and plastic trucks that transform into desks.

The entertainment room, filled with bright lights and noise, is also on the first floor and includes token arcade games such as "Wheel of Fortune," "Hoops" and air hockey. The second floor holds six birthday rooms.

The couple’s children have been a big help in the making of Scalliwags, which is a pet name the parents have for the girls, Farragher-Gemma said.

"They’ve helped us pick out prizes, and we’ve tested our ideas about the different games on them," she said. "We brought them here the other day, and they were playing for hours and didn’t want to leave. That’s how I know Scalliwags will be successful."

Farragher-Gemma said the playground can house between 100 to 200 children and is handicapped-accessible.
The entrance and exit are gated, and every child and adult will be given arm tags.

"Unless they match at the exit, the child will not be leaving," Farragher-Gemma said.

So far Scalliwags employs 20 staff members, but the couple expect the number to grow to 50.

For the holidays, Scalliwags will have special programs and entertainment, which will include a magic show, spin art and much more.