New creative play space opens in Mosaic District

A new innovative play space for young children and babies opened in the Mosaic District in Merrifield July 14.

Nook, at 2905 District Ave., offers a quiet place with a muted color scheme where kids up to 5 years old can experience self-paced independent play.

There’s a ball pit, a kitchen nook with a toy stove and accessories, a garage nook with toy cars, a reading nook, “loose parts nook,” a nook for babies, an imagination playground with large foam shapes, tables for drawing, and more.

Parents can stay with their children or leave them with childminders while they run errands or get some work done. The cost is $20 a day, whether the child stays for one hour or all day. Siblings under three months old are free; older siblings are 50 percent off.

Nook can host birthday parties, and there are plans to begin offering classes in such areas as music, parenting, and “preschool prep” to help kids acclimate to the routines of preschool, said employee Atiya Rehman. Another Nook outlet will open this fall in the new Ballston Mall in Arlington.

In other Mosaic news, a new fast casual restaurant, Poke Bar, opens July 21 at 8298 Glass Alley.