Play Street Museum Ft. Worth is locally owned and passionately operated by Courtney Bennett. Courtney and her husband, Zach, opened Play Street in July of 2019 which quickly became an adored indoor play space for the children of Ft. Worth. The community embraced the museum’s concept of learning through play, business was booming, and then 7 months in…COVID.
The Bennetts made the gut wrenching decision to close the doors to the high touch play area and focus on crafts, activities, and retail sales via curbside pick up to give moms the tools they needed to entertain their children at home for the foreseeable future. Paint Your Own Pottery Kits and Slime Kits were delivered across Fort Worth to doorsteps of very appreciative mamas, but Courtney knew this wouldn’t sustain Play Street long term should this pandemic last much longer than initially expected.
With many daycares following school closures she saw a need for consistent childcare for the frontline workers in our local hospitals. After all, how could these heroes save lives if they didn’t have anywhere to drop their kids off so they could get to work? Play Street Museum contacted Texas Health Resources to see if childcare for employees was a need they could fill. After working with the HR department of THR and The Texas Department of Health and Human Services, Play Street Museum Ft. Worth became a drop off childcare facility for the employees of Texas Health in April of 2020.
What started out as a two week contract last April to provide childcare, has turned into a full year of reliable daycare for the employees of Texas Health. What a blessing this contract has been for both parties! Play Street has been able to offer weekend play opportunities and birthday parties for the public since last June, but the contract with Texas Health is what truly saved PSM from the potential of losing everything in the pandemic.
THR and PSM have mutually decided to end the childcare contract on May 31st as COVID cases are down and the vaccine is readily available. While Courtney and her staff will miss the childcare families she has gotten to know so well over the past year, she is excited to get Play Street back open to all the families of Fort Worth. Starting June 1, Play Street will reopen to the public for Open Play by Reservation.
Tickets can be purchased at https://ftworth.playstreetmuseum.com/events.
Courtney has a heart for the children of our city and can be reached at ftworthinfo@playstreetmuseum.com for any questions!
