Scandinavia House's Redesigned Heimbold Family Children’s Playing and Learning Center in Murray Hill
Submitted by Stephanie Ogozalek on
[UPDATED: February 18, 2013] There's a secret most Murray Hill families don't want getting out: The Heimbold Family Children’s Playing and Learning Center, a beautiful interactive play space tucked away on the fourth floor of Scandinavia House. Back when my son was a toddler, we visited several times a week. The center was cozy, cheerful, inexpensive and rarely crowded, and it's where my kid became obsessed with Scandinavian toys like Legos and wooden Brio trains.
The Heimbold Family Children’s Playing and Learning Center underwent a major two-month renovation in 2011 overseen by Koko Architecture + Design, the husband-and-wife team that created the awesome (though sadly now closed) Imaginasium for the Children's Aid Society in Greenwich Village. Education has always been the center's focus, and this magical redesign enhances that mission with hands-on stations where kids can learn, explore and play using Scandinavian early childhood development concepts.
I visited the revamped center shortly after its grand reopening, and it's really amazing. My now six-year-old son wouldn't even recognize the space! Step inside, and you'll wish you were a kid again.