When The Familier’s Chaowai SOHO branch shut down a few months ago, many CBD families lost a valuable resource. The good news is that the play center is back at The Place as part of Touch! Touch! Children’s Art Gallery – a traveling sensory exhibition for kids by BabyArt. The Familier is in charge of running the Touch! Touch! members’ area with VIP one-to-one drop-off service, free coffee, and snacks. Best of all, The Familier continues to offer its birthday services for ages 4-8; kids have access to Touch! Touch!’s 1,000sqm of interactive exhibitions.
There are different rooms devoted to different senses, such as the Dark Room with glow-in-the-dark props, where kids are encouraged to rip up pieces of paper to stimulate their hearing. The Familier’s specialty is full-service birthday parties, with experienced teachers who understand how to lead kids in structured play. Co-Founder Daniel Hwang says: “We help make ideas happen.” There are currently six themes offered at the CBD branch (with more available at The Familier 798): pirate, race cars, rainbow, under the sea, princess, and farm. Each birthday party lasts around two to three hours, and includes five to six activities. The theme is reflected in everything from invitation cards to decorations, games, and food (arranged via a caterer). The price of a birthday package depends on the number of kids; The Familier can accommodate up to 30, but 15 is more common (RMB 2,500-3,500). But hurry – Touch! Touch! is slated to move to its next location on February 3, 2013; until it finds a permanent location, The Familier will be going along with it.
Tue-Sun 10.30am-7pm. Inside Touch! Touch! Children’s Art Gallery, B/1F, South Wing (near Ole Supermarket), The Place, 9 Guanghua Lu, Chaoyang District (English: 138 1159 8903, Chinese: 187 1010 1520, service@thefamilier.com) www.thefamilier.com 朝阳区光华路9号世贸天阶南街地下1层（靠Ole生活超市）Touch！Touch！美术馆内
This article is excerpted from beijingkids December 2012 issue. View it in PDF form here or contact distribution@beijing-kids.com to find out where you can pick up your free copy.
