Northeast Portland’s Woodlawn neighborhood will get its own SwapNPlay, an innovative shared space providing families with a place to take their children for activities, in early May.
Co-founder Beth Iverson says an informational meeting will be held the evening of April 17 at the Village Ballroom. The Woodlawn SwapNPlay will be located in a space below the Village Ballroom where a second hand shop is currently.
This is the fourth SwapNPlay to open in Portland. SwapNPlays already exist in the St. Johns, Vernon and the Sunnyside neighborhoods. There is also one located in Gresham.
SwapNPlays are cooperative communities offering play spaces for families with young children. Members pay a nominal monthly fee and can donate, trade, and share items like children’s clothing, books, toys, and other supplies.
At the heart of SwapNPlay is a shared play space for families wanting to get out the house with their children. But SwapNPlays can also offer educational and parenting resources as well.
Co-founder Andrea Davey, who directs the St. John SwapNPlay, is not surprised that the concept is spreading throughout Portland. “That was always the initial goal,” she says.
The Woodlawn SwapNPlay will be run as a co-op where each member family participates in taking care of the space, whether through administrative or janitorial work, or helping with marketing, development, etc. “That helps keep the costs down,” Iverson says.
Her main hope for the Woodlawn SwapNPlay is that it will build community and connect families to each other.
“It’s a way for moms to get out of the house and learn from each other, and share knowledge and share different skills and ideas,” she says.
Iverson is a teacher, and being the mother of a two-year old daughter has inspired her to pursue opening a day school for toddlers, a preschool, or another education program geared toward young, preschool-aged children.
She and her husband considered opening a preschool, but it was difficult to find a space. Six months ago, a friend at their church, Oregon Community Church, told them about the space at the Village Ballroom. Almost around the same time, Iverson learned of the SwapNPlay concept.
With the help of Davey and Mychelle Moritz, the executive director of the family community center Nurture, Iverson changed direction and began pursuing plans to open a SwapNPlay.
Iverson has high hopes and plans for Woodlawn SwapNPlay. There will be a play space, but the Village Ballroom has also agreed to let Iverson use the space during the day to offer a play area for gross motor play. She also plans to hold weekly parenting classes there.
She also wants to offer weekly music and art classes and facilitate parenting groups that will allow parents to come together and discuss their issues and challenges.
“[The organization] will grow as the space grows,” Iverson says. “I’m hoping to have whatever the need of the families at the time are. It will change as the families change.”
Go to to www.woodlawnswapnplay.org to find out more about the Woodlawn SwapNPlay.
The informational meeting about the Woodlawn SwapNPlay will be held on April 17, 4-7 p.m., at the Village Ballroom, 700 NE Dekum St.
