AUGUST 10 • 2023 | 37
NMLS #718852
B I R M I N G H A M
We can’t help
you downsize.
But we can help you
buy a new home.
Ad Number:
PP-BOAA-22775H
Trim:
7.375" x 4.8"
Perich Job No:
22775
Bleed:
NA
Colors:
4/C
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Format:
1/2 Page Ad
Version:
07.20.23
continued on page 38
to be easily-accessible for the
Birmingham-Bloomfield com-
munity.
“I took everything that I
didn’t like from places where
I’ve been with my kids and
looked for the opposite,” she
says. “Most places are hard to
park, so I wanted somewhere
with [easy] parking.”
Located on East Lincoln
Street, Fascination Factory
sits in Birmingham’s rail dis-
trict just minutes away from
downtown. Nearby are other
children’s activities, and a
restaurant group will soon
open next door to the cen-
ter. “You can drop one kid at
karate or swim, then come
to Fascination Factory [with
another],” Foon says.
While the center was ini-
tially created for preschoolers
and early elementary students,
Foon noticed more and more
people with babies were inter-
ested in coming in. She and
her team, which is all female,
quickly changed pricing and
offerings to modify.
“It’s been really great to see
the sense of community,” she
says of the center’s positive
reception. Not only do kids
build connections with other
kids, but adults interact as
well, creating friendships and
coordinating playdates for
their children.
With few places in the area
that focus on furthering brain
development or social devel-
opment, Foon says a center
like Fascination Factory was
needed. As a fully unplugged
play area, none of the toys at
Fascination Factory have bat-
teries, plugs or instructions.
Instead, they’re powered by
kids’ creativity and curiosity.
“At home, we don’t neces-
sarily have those things,” Foon
says. “To get away from that
and disconnect is really nice.”
PLAY-BASED LEARNING
FOR ALL
Fascination Factory is home
to 20 activity stations that
stimulate children’s imagina-
tion. There’s a building area
with various building toys,
and tables with trains, domi-
noes and cars. In the center of
the space is also a family area
where parents can grab a cof-
fee or sit at a table with their
laptop to get some work done.
The center also has a learn-
ing toys section with bins that
are swapped out every few
days, so they stay interesting
for kids every time they visit
As a fully unplugged play
area, none of the toys
at Fascination Factory
have batteries, plugs or
instructions.