Playtime starts now: Introducing Clover Clubhouse in South Boston

Hot coffee, healthy snacks and happy kids.

What else could a parent want?

Soon enough, they will be the ones asking their kids if they can spend the afternoon at Clover Clubhouse in Southie.

Founders Carly Consigli, Caroline Yonker and Jamie Moss felt there were limited options when it came to a safe, clean and practical space to bring your young kids that isn’t a drop off daycare. They wanted to create a community center for not only the kids, but the parents and families too.

With two of the three founders having a background in early education, they built the programs with the kids in mind. With offerings such as Mini Monet art classes and Tiny Tumbler Time led by certified instructors, every potential level of engagement was thought through.

And since all three are also mothers, they wanted to make sure that the parents could enjoy this space as much as the kids. Coming to Clover Clubhouse should be the opposite of stressful.

With a strict sick policy and UV light sanitizers, parents don’t have to worry about that random toy from the bin that their child has decided they can no longer live without. Plus, with diapers, wipes and even new underwear, you don’t have to fear that fateful blowout that will happen the second you walk in the door.

The Clubhouse is also a nut-free facility and you are welcome to bring your own snacks. But in the case that you forgot them at home and your toddler is one granola bar away from a meltdown, there are healthy snacks and drinks available for purchase!

They’ve truly thought of everything…even a parents lounge with…wait for it…HOT coffee.

“We know what the parents want – A hot cup of coffee and a diaper!” Consigli said.

As Yonker joked, it’s rare to be able to drink your coffee while it’s actually hot as a parent, so they hope you enjoy this well-earned privilege!

Another rarity you get to enjoy? Working out, uninterrupted. Gone are the days where you have to cancel your class or end your run early because you have no one to watch your kiddo. Clover has a handful of instructors in classes like pilates and strength training. Who says the grown ups can’t have some fun too?!

Whether you are answering emails in the lounge or working up a sweat, parents can have the peace of mind and comfort of knowing that their kids are having just as much supervised fun, on the other side of the beautifully muraled wall.

“It’s a way to have a degree of separation and autonomy, especially for new parents, but in the comfort of a warm, friendly place – a home away from home,” Yonker said.

The founders know that leaving your child in someone else’s care or just being away from them can be anxiety inducing. They wanted to provide a family-focused, safe space that allows you to create a little bit of distance between you and your child at your own pace, all the while, maybe meeting new friends along the way.

“So many people aren’t moving back into the suburbs anymore,” Consigli said. “What we are hearing is, “We don’t want to leave Southie.” We really wanted to provide a place for them to also hang out, mingle, meet and become an even closer community.”

If anything, they are just trying to build off of the love Southie folks already feel and hope to instill that in the youngest residents. There’s even a “Mini Southie” in the play zone with a rotating storefront that features a business in the community!

Although plastic pizza slices held together by velcro works great for the Mini Southie economy, in case you want real food, Clover has partnered with Broadway Group restaurants for all in-house catering needs. If you are hosting a birthday party or event, you can order from Capo, Lincoln or Fat Baby.

“We really want this to encompass a South Boston community that is already established,” Consigli said.

The thing about a close-knit community is that everyone is there for one another. Clover wants to make sure that everyone is able to enjoy their services, regardless of any financial obstacles. Because of that, they will be offering opportunities to receive free drop in tickets. The first two organizations to benefit from this are South Boston En Accion and the South Boston Neighborhood House. Both received several guest passes that they can hand out to families.

To learn more about this new community hub down the street, you can enjoy 2 free hours of play during Open House hours now through April 2nd. Click this link and use the code “OPENHOUSE” at checkout to sign up.

While you are there, be sure to ask about the summer programming that they are offering. As mentioned before, Clover Clubhouse is all about providing comfort and fun. They’ve got your back.

“As a mom of school-aged kids, it is well recognized that Southie parents struggle to cover the whole summer off while working. We aim to cover school-age kids, as well as littles during the summer through partnership with Southie OT and aftercare for the Boys and Girls Club, which lets out at 3:30 PM before parents can clock out,” Moss said.

With the grand opening just around the corner April 7th, now is the time to join and be one of the founding members!

Memberships include access to the Parents Lounge and exclusive member only events like the upcoming Easter Egg Hunt on April 19th. For those who aren’t sure they want to commit to a membership yet, you can also join certain events like Bouquets, Bubbles & Bracelets on May 4th and May 7th and also pay for drop in play!

So, pack up the stroller, roll up your sleeves and put on your grippy socks. Play time starts now!