Area in the shop to entertain little kids?

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Natalya Murphy

Natalya Murphy

CGF II, Certified Grumble Framer Level 2
Joined
Nov 4, 2006
Posts
478
Loc
Nebraska
Does anyone have an area in their shop to keep customers' kids entertained while mom/dad/grandparents are deciding on a framing order? We're debating whether to set up a corner in the new shop for kiddos -- initial thought was maybe have paper and colored pencils or crayons for drawing and then let the kid pick a mat color from the small scraps to put over their masterpiece before they leave. Or maybe just have a corner with books, or a whiteboard easel or one of those swirly things with beads on them.

Does anyone have a kid-entertainment area in their store? I remember a recent post mentioning playing kids' DVDs on a computer in the shop.
 
I have a few children's books to occupy the little ones but what absolutely fascinates most little kids are the plastic beaded curtains in my shop window - a kid will stand for 10-15 minutes just rattling those beads - it is amazing!!! (plus mom always knows where the kid is by the plastic jingle sound!)
 
We have a basket of kid things like books, crayons, a whiffle basketball with a suction-cup hoop. I use old pieces of trimmed matboards for them to color on. It keeps them occupied for about five minutes. Our biggest kid-sitter is the shop cat. She runs and hides when she sees them and they spend all their time looking for her.

(Yes-I know it's not always a great idea to have shop animals-but we are in an area that is very pet-friendly. I also ask any new person who comes in if they would like me to remove her from the room...)
 
I rarely run into that problem now compared to the old days when I sold creative and educational toys, stuffed animals and other items intended for children along with framing and art supplies.

When I run into a child who becomes board and impatient, I reach into my box below the chopper or saw and pull out corner cut-offs of large mouldings which, with a child's imagination, become space ships and the building blocks of futuristic buildings. Of course, don't ever give them to a child so small that they want to chew on them. If it's OK with mom or dad they're then allowed to take them home ...make's them feel special. They're also surprised that this slightly graying man who's helping mom or dad stops to pay attention and be nice to them.

I also have lots of markers and mat board scraps and have been known to frame the child's drawing for free for mom to give them for their birthday ...(I like them to get an appreciation for fine framing at any early age).

When we were kid's my dad brought home some of the neatest large moulding pieces for us. In addition he'd bring a bag of marbles and tubes from rolls of canvas or others like the black plastic spacer tubes. We'd cut a slot near the ends of the tubes and line them up all through the house at angles to run marbles through.

We didn't seem to need or ever miss all the gadgety loud toys that kids get marketed down their throats when we were kids.

...................................................... :smiley: .......................................................


Dave Makielski
 
We have a small area, delineated by a clown rug, where we have some toys. The most popular one is one of those multi-button things that asks questions, honks, whistles and makes other electronic sounds. That way the parent knows where the kid is (and so do we!) I have noticed that the corner isn't as popular as it once was. Parents want to keep their kids a little closer these days.
 
No matter what you have in the way of kid-friendly stuff, they will gravitate toward razor blades and glass shards.

I had a little guy spinning one of my ready-made racks with such ferocity that I was afraid it would begin to affect the local climate. I'm quite sure I saw a funnel cloud forming over it.
 
The former owner of my shop filled a 3ftx3ft "sandbox" with field corn (off the cob). Put some pails and shovels and a couple trucks for the little.....ah ......people to play in. Much easier to sweep up than real sand. He eventually removed it though. Don't remeber why. I think becouse he didn't get that many kids in the shop and he wanted the space.
 
At first I had an area set up for kids.....now Max occupies it. But I hardly see any kids. I think most people come to the shop as an excuse to get away from their kids lol. But I keep things on hand for the occassional rare appearance.
 
We have a Lego Table and some children books at the end of the design counter. he Lego table has been a hit for over 15 years. We have kids that run ito our store just to play with the legos and that of course brings Mom and Dad in.
 
Is this really a good idea?

We've had an old fashioned marble "game" made of wood where the child lines up marbles on the top level and watches them lever and spin their way down to a small collection box at the bottom. This was made by an older retired gentleman in Iowa many years ago, and is a conversation piece for parents as well.

We bring this out from the corner "when necessary". Although we have contemplated a real child's section, we've always dismissed this idea for two main reason.
  • Real Estate is too valuable in our shop for framing, artwork and gift merchandise.
  • Do we really want to encourage parents bringing in their children? The design process is difficult enough - do we really need to draw their focus away from making this decision?

John
 
Here, Johnny, put this razor blade in your pocket for later.

I'm with John on this one...sort of.

We have a 20"x30"x16" deep plastic storage tub filled with toys and books for kids. It is in plain view, covered and under a shelf out front. When it would be handy to distract the kids, we can pull it out in about 10 seconds. Moms appreciate the thought.

Completely unloaded, the contents of that box might cover 6 square feet of carpet, which is not bad for a temporary mess. Most moms are cooperative about getting their kids to put the toys away when it's time to go.

But I gotta tell ya, the undisciplined kids are the only real problem, and they are not usually satisfied by 'conventional' toys. They'd rather throw moulding samples at the pictures on the wall.:icon11:
 
Oh jeez, is that were our customer's kids learned that....

Usually, after looking at the unbehaving kid and taking every chance to "retreive" plundered samples, and such the embarrassed moms softly suggest that they go take Jr somewhere so they can come back when its quiet. Sometimes they make it back.....

But we do try subtley to instill the space for "serious thought about the framing that will out live Jr's childhood".

But on the flip-side, we have been known to shamelessly fawn over children who are extremely well behaved and sit or stand patient and quiet. Rewards from outside the family matrix is very forming. :D
 
Read this sign once in an antique store

Pets are welcomed but children must be kept on a leash!


(Hope I didnt offend anyone)
 
Chicken Wire

Chicken wire and duct tape.
 
Saw this in a shop next to a pet store once:
"Unattended children will be given an espresso and a puppy"

I used to give them a poster catalogue or two to browse thru. Once, little Joey said "Mommy look!! The lady in this book's boobies are showing...Heee-HEEEE!" Mommy made her framing decision quickly and left, came back in later without Joey.

Well ........it worked!:p

Or some matbd scraps and a couple of crayons. Let 'em make their own adult art!
 
Oh, ain't that the truth Ron, and it scares the he!! out of me. Why, oh why is it assumed that I can help create a framed piece with you and baby sit all at the same time.

I actually had a 2 year old banging on the computer keyboard, until I (not the mother) put a polite stop to it. My friend,the computer whiz, had to come in and spend a couple of hours fixing the little darlins' destruction.

Lori
 
a cage....

I have a real problem with kids that are not well behaved and with this business have had to totally draw a blind eye to the goings on of the kids while working with the parents. Most are pretty well behaved but I have had some children that should have been in a cage... if they do head towards the workroom I "suggest" to the parents that they don't as there are many dangerous items.

The funniest day was when a kid needed to use the restroom and was in there a pretty long time - he was bout 6 - and came out with bandaids (from my shelf) all over himself!!!

But to be more serious - I am not a child care center and prefer that the parents discipline their own children. Only once was I tempted to yell at a kid who was completely out of line... but chose to remain silent and glad I did as the parents are still in the top 10 of customers and now the kids are older and much better behaved!!

Roz
 
FTP said:
Read this sign once in an antique store

Pets are welcomed but children must be kept on a leash!


(Hope I didnt offend anyone)
Click to expand...

Unattended children will be captured, tighed and sold to the highest bidder
 
I'm almost afraid to say it, but I'm new to framing. We've been in the photo lab business for 20 years. Last year we put in a small kids area. Got a table and 2 chairs, a smal rug to define the area, and a few puzzles, legos and the all time winner etch-a-sketch. Kids love it and most go right to it when they come in. The moms and dads have given us lots of kudos for it,too. That way they have more time to spend without interuption. So far a win-win for us. What's really funny is a lot of the kids don't know what the etch-a sketch does and the parents sit right down with them on the little chair and play for a while.
 
There are two varieties of parents that drive me crazy:

(1) The ones that exert no control whatsover and their little horrors are clearly accustomed to running amok

(2) The ones that ask for their "little darling's" opinion as to frame and mat choices

Both varieties are idiots, and as retribution in the next life should be reincarnated as framers!
 
A long time ago we made the decision to have toys and have never looked back. We have nothing with liquid inside of plastic, no crayons, markers, anything that could ruin anything else. Plastic little people, infant toys given to us when the owners grew out of them, etc. All are in a plastic see through colored milk crate (2 of them) under a design table.

Mom and kids walk in and those who have visited us before immediately run to the toys, children are near moms and dads, everyone is happy. We have had moms tell us they shop our store becaue they know we have safe toys for their children. For new customers we let them know there are toys and they seem so relieved. It is not a bother for us, and 99% of the moms make the kids pick up the toys. Have had a few crying bouts at the end because Johnny wanted to take the toys home with him!

We also encourage dogs in to the store if they are leashed. Seattle has the highest rate of dogs to humans, averaging two dogs each, so we keep dog biscuits on hand all the time. One of "regular" dogs just competed at the Westminster Dog Show in NY! And in 15 years have had only one very minor accident.

I am using empty space under a table, moms are happy, kids are happy, I AM HAPPY since I don't have to listen to the kids grumble, so for us it is a win win situation.

Lynn
 
What we want, seriously, is a floor piano like the one in the film 'Big'

Years ago we actually contacted the store where the scene was filmed ... FAO Schwarz???? Think they may be gone now ... anyway - not a go-er - not something they actually sold and would cost about £20000 to install.

We do have a floor mat piano - but it's just too flimsy and even if we velcroe-d it down - it could still be tripped over.

I love kids - couldn't eat a whole one though!
 
Bloody children!!!
They should have all been drowned at birth!
 
Couldn't find the photo... on a shop door in Key Largo... Its the Flamingo House, Val...

Unattended or misbehaving children will be captured and sold to the Gypsy Circus.
 
You can tow 'em, but you can't tow 'em much. :D

"All unattended children will be considered as abandoned Free Range Bait for Sunday's hunt."
 
I sort of agree with John that real estate is too valuable to allocate to kids, but as a practical manner, people with the little ones in tow are going to bring them in regardless of how we try to fortify our shops (razor wire and land mines are an interesting possibility).

We have a wicker basket full of toys that usually occupies them until they see that the corner sample wall or our glass display shelves present more possibilities for mayhem.

I would avoid anything like crayons or pens, though. If the twerps cannot stay between the lines in a coloring book, the walls and carpets might appear to offer a more attractive canvas to their scribblings.
 
I'm ready to burn the play area...

Being ::gulp:: in a mall, I see a fair number of the little snots. You see, we have the mall's play area right below us. So, not only do I have to listen to the screaming, the sneezing (yes, I can hear it), the coughing, the fighting, and the crying, I have to deal with the loose ones running in and out of my store.

Did you ever see Mall Rats? "The #### kid is playing on the escalator again!"

All... Day... Long.

Guess where the Santa photo-place was this Christmas? Hmmm? Yeah. Here's how a typical day went:
Screaming Screaming Screaming... Jingle Jingle Jingle... Quack Quack Quack (squeaky toy to get babies attentions). I was about ready to steal the duck one night.

But, enough venting (its particularly loud down there today). We have the fish pond (180 gallons of gold-fishy fury) and Spikezilla. If that doesn't get their attention, I don't know what will.
Wait, yes I do. I have to be as polite as possible when I tell the kids not to touch my canvases or original. When I say kids, though, I am including the teenagers that realy should know better.

Oh, man. I need a drink. :)
 
I have two stores. The first one I have an activity cube in that I got from a Dr office toys .com type place. The new store has a room that we painted the bottom half with chalkboard paint and nailed frames to the wall for the little ones to create their masterpieces in. works well

tried to attach a picture but its too big
 
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