Unpluggits Playstudio was dreamed up by me, a full-time working mom who wanted a place to “chill out” with my kids and my spouse.  I absolutely love our local parks, art festivals, children's museums and attractions and I wanted to be able to enjoy this type of experience anytime, especially after a hard day of work.  I also love amusement parks, the movies and pizza parlors with games but I wanted a different choice, something not so intense and preferably with air conditioning when it's 102 outside.  

I'm not very “craftsie” and envy those who are.  Once in awhile I want to create something special for someone I love or care about.  I just need a little help getting started.  And I was really jealous of my son when I picked him up from art camp.  I wanted to be an art camper too!   

I try not to commit my kids to another scheduled activity.  I figure they can do it all, but not all at once.   And there are already so many wonderful art classes available in our area.  I was thinking about something a little more flexible, where I could drop in when the mood struck me and a place and where my boys could run and play when they were "done" with our projects.  Have you tried to entertain (or should I say contain?) a four year old in a traditional ceramic studio, with the owner peering at you over her librarian glasses?  What I thought would be a fun bonding activity turned out to be more stressful than a photo-shoot with a two year old.

I worry that my kids don’t play outside in the neighborhood like we did in the good old days (yes that's us now).  I feel guilty about how much my kids watch TV and play video games.   I want them to have some introspective activities as opposed to a steady consumption of expertly marketed media.  I'd like them to create memories of this stage in their life, by having a great time playing or creating a keepsake in their own unique style.
  
A few years ago, the company I worked for since out of college was sold.  My job went south, literally, to Houston, TX.  But being an Okie all my life, I stayed here.  It was a now or never type of decision.  Thanks to my encouraging husband I went for it.  The playground I had in mind wasn't as big as the one we ended up with.  We can thank him for that too.    Katrina Uhls   

Customers ask how I came up with the name Unpluggits Playstudio.  Well... I would be on the phone with a friend catching up or with a co-worker going over details of a project.  Then I'd realize my kids had been playing video games or watching TV for a really long time.  Hours, not minutes and I felt terrible about it, but I got a lot done. You see the dilemma.  So I'd tell whoever I was talking to "Listen I've got to go.  I need to unplug my kids."  "Unplugged" was already taken in the music industry, so I thought Unpluggits could mean all the things you can do while you are unplugged from video games.  And because we weren't a formal art instruction studio and we had a playground, I thought "Playstudio" might sum up the rest.

Unpluggits Playstudio was started by owner Katrina Uhls (that's me) as a place where children and parents could have it all – a place to work on arts and crafts, and to play and unwind after. Unpluggits offers over 3,000 square feet devoted solely to crafts, giving their customers all-day access to painting, Play-Doh sculpting, the chalk table, and more. For a small additional fee, Unpluggits also offers a variety of crafts which can be painted and taken home the same day. Children can choose from an assortment of ceramics, including banks in the shape of robots, frogs, cupcakes and more, or they can take advantage of Unpluggits’ collection of wooden items, toys, picture frames, or firetrucks. Kids can even paint their own birdhouse to take home. Once the little artiste is satisfied, they can get down to the business of playing on the two-story play indoor playground. This area includes a giant pirate ship, slides, tunnels, air hockey, foosball, an area to play dress-up, and a tree house.

You can monitor your child’s fun from either their side or from a work counter that faces the playground. Children under the age of 13 must be accompanied by a guardian, but for the busy mom and dad, Unpluggits offers free wifi.