Parents and caregivers in need of a haircut, groceries or a cavity filling are in good hands with the extraordinarily young “staff” at Imagination Cove Children’s Museum, where kids can be whoever they want to be.
With a wide variety of educational games and toys, the museum is a place where children can learn and feel inspired while having a blast with their friends and families. According to co-owners Jaylynn Sybrant and Mala Sooknanan, families of all abilities are welcome to venture in and make memories.
Imagination Cove, located at 230 South East Pioneer Way in Oak Harbor, opened on Independence Day and will host a grand opening 4-6 p.m. on July 15, free to guests. The ribbon-cutting ceremony will also feature a bouncy house from Island Inflatables, a prop plane from the Pacific Northwest Naval Air Museum and a fire truck from the Oak Harbor Fire Department.
To Sybrant and Sooknanan, two self-described “big kids,” putting together and running the cove has felt more like playtime than actual work. In a way, it’s a place where adults can play pretend with Barbies and child-sized kitchens with the excuse of bonding with their kids and the extra benefit of not having to worry about the mess.
Most of the activities at the cove are intended to stimulate the minds of children, whose brains are particularly flexible and full of potential, according to Sooknanan. Children can learn about the solar system, electricity and the human anatomy, examine objects through a microscope, read books, solve puzzles and more.
In the coding center, children can make their own games and animations and learn the basics of coding. The room also includes Japanese calligraphy and Lego sets.
The hair salon corner features a mirror and a chair — bought from The Seaside Spa & Salon in Coupeville — where children can give their parents a makeover or experiment different styles on the mannequin heads. Kids can also pick up an extra shift at the nearby child-sized clinic, examining and diagnosing patients, or quit these jobs altogether to run a mini-diner or a horse ranch.
Kids can get a break from the hustle and bustle and have fun on the playground, which features tunnels, a slide and a ball pit, or take a moment to calm down in the sensory room, where they can sit in the dim lights and relieve stress with sensory toys.
The cove also provides children with sensory kits that include headphones and fidget toys.
As the parent of a special needs child, Sybrant finds that it’s difficult to find a place where children with disabilities can feel welcome. Being familiar with this struggle, she and Sooknanan want to plan monthly or quarterly sensory days with dim lights, sensory swings and no music.
The facility also offers ample space for wheelchairs to move around the different play areas.
“Whether you are on a wheelchair or (you’re) a crawler, a walker or you’re on the spectrum, whatever the case may be, there’s something for you to do here,” Sybrant said.
Sybrant also worked as an activity director for memory care patients, a job where, similarly to running Imagination Cove, she had to keep in mind the sensory needs of the guests.
The interactive projection room is a space for people of all ages as it is “tailored to keep your brain sharp,” Sybrant said. The room features cognitive and memory training games and will be available soon at the price of $25 an hour.
On top of being a venue for parties and family fun, Imagination Cove shares the space with Sooknanan and Sybrant’s two other businesses, Whidbey Yard Cards and Party Pops.
Sybrant is the owner of Whidbey Yard Cards, a business that rents out lawn greeting signs for weddings, birthdays, homecomings and more. Sooknanan owns Party Pops, a party planning and balloon decor business.
The two entrepreneurs joined forces in February, looking for a brick and mortar space for their businesses and an opportunity to create something bigger for the local kids, especially those from low-income families that cannot afford many toys.
The museum has different options for guests. The 2-hour admission pass costs $16 for one child and $8 for each additional child in a group, and respectively $8 and $4 for every extra hour. All day passes cost $35 for the first child and $17.50 for each additional child.
Families can also pay for a monthly membership with unlimited admission — $75 for the first kid and $37.50 for each additional kid — and a pass valid for 10 two-hour visits at the price of $128.
First admissions are half off for additional children while parents, caretakers and children under the age of one come for free.
For more information, visit imaginationcovecm.org.
A first version of this story incorrectly stated first admissions were half off for children. First admissions are actually half off for additional children in a group. We regret the error.
Mala Sooknanan, owner of Imagination Cove Children’s Museum, takes care of a baby giraffe at the veterinary clinic. (Photo by Luisa Loi)
Jaylynn Sybrant holds a communication device for nonverbal children. (Photo by Luisa Loi)
Jaylynn Sybrant plays in the science lab. (Photo by Luisa Loi)
Co-owners Mala Sooknanan and Jaylynn Sybrant have fun pretending to be at the grocery store. (Photo by Luisa Loi)
Jane Carter plays in the toddler corner. (Photo by Luisa Loi)
Mala Sooknanan rides a horse by the animal farm. (Photo by Luisa Loi)
Jane Carter plays with a Mario Kart race game in “Wheel City,” Imagination Cove’s car corner. (Photo by Luisa Loi)
Mala Sooknanan plays the theremin, an electronic instrument that is played without physical contact. (Photo by Luisa Loi)
Ethan has fun on the slide. (Photo by Luisa Loi)
Jane Carter gives her mom, Maddie Evans, a haircut at Imagination Cove, a family center owned by two military spouses, Jaylynn Sybrant and Mala Sooknanan. (Photo by Luisa Loi)
