The Shop at Nook

Most Recent Comments

• June 2022 by Kasi A.
  So we came in today, a Sunday around 11 AM, and it was our first time in Nook- aka The Wonder (new name). Let me first say it's legit hard to find in Ballston if you aren't familiar with the commons. We ended up calling and walking around for a good 10 minutes trying to find the place. For anyone lost, it's on M-1 right by the Macys. Lol When we walked in around 11 it was already pretty full of little babies. We had an almost 4 year old and I'm not going to lie she was def underwhelmed. We were greeted at the door and told to take off our shoes. They have a small cubby space near two bathrooms. The bathrooms were clean and nice. There main attraction is the little semi circle ball pit which I see advertised. It's very small. Three or four toddlers fill the thing and it's hard to enjoy when you constantly feel like someone's jumping on you. They also have a small climbing play set with a slide, Montessori wooden toys, a tent with foam blocks and star projector inside, as well as a bounce house and art tables. It would have been nice if they had a cap on how many children are in at once as it felt like everyone was on top of each other. Seating for adults was essentially non-existent. Overall, we stayed for 30 minutes (you get 2hrs but no big kid is going to enjoy that amount of time) and was hardly worth the $30 it cost to get in. I would rather go to scramble or pump it up where I spend less and get way more. We left disappointed. I also want to note, with the amount of littles in this place I would have liked to see employees disinfecting more. They basically sat at the front. This might be a good place for learning to walk kiddos but no big kids.
• June 2022 by Kasi M.
  So we came in today, a Sunday around 11 AM, and it was our first time in Nook- aka The Wonder (new name). Let me first say it's legit hard to find in Ballston if you aren't familiar with the commons. We ended up calling and walking around for a good 10 minutes trying to find the place. For anyone lost, it's on M-1 right by the Macys. LolWhen we walked in around 11 it was already pretty full of little babies. We had an almost 4 year old and I'm not going to lie she was def underwhelmed. We were greeted at the door and told to take off our shoes. They have a small cubby space near two bathrooms. The bathrooms were clean and nice. There main attraction is the little semi circle ball pit which I see advertised. It's very small. Three or four toddlers fill the thing and it's hard to enjoy when you constantly feel like someone's jumping on you. They also have a small climbing play set with a slide, Montessori wooden toys, a tent with foam blocks and star projector inside, as well as a bounce house and art tables. It would have been nice if they had a cap on how many children are in at once as it felt like everyone was on top of each other. Seating for adults was essentially non-existent. Overall, we stayed for 30 minutes (you get 2hrs but no big kid is going to enjoy that amount of time) and was hardly worth the $30 it cost to get in. I would rather go to scramble or pump it up where I spend less and get way more. We left disappointed. I also want to note, with the amount of littles in this place I would have liked to see employees disinfecting more. They basically sat at the front. This might be a good place for learning to walk kiddos but no big kids.
• November 2019 by Laura W.
  I don't know if I'm missing something but I was not impressed. Yes, aesthetically, this is the most pleasant looking indoor play yard I've visited, but I'm not visiting playgrounds for anyone other than my child and he certainly could care less about aesthetics. The price is quite high, IMO, at $20 for two hours. However, the exception is $10 for two hours from 3-5 Tuesdays and Thursdays. I was available this week on a Tuesday, so I took my son to check it out. We made reservations in advance online. I'm sure they are necessary on the weekends but maybe not during the week. Each little area has a theme and different activities. Nook is geared towards 0-6 I believe but I'd say more for 2-5. My son just turned one and is not walking so he was limited on what he could do. That could also be why I wasn't impressed. I love the soft play indoor playgrounds as does my son, but that is, clearly, not Nook. The helix is really cool and my son really loved crawling in and out of it. He also enjoyed the play kitchen. I tried to do the drawing with him but, of course, everything goes in the mouth. He went in the ballpit some but there was some really rough play going on. Which brings me to another criticism. Super uninvolved staff. And uninvolved parents. These two boys were basically having a WWF match in the ball pit and their moms were over in a corner talking paying zero mind to this and the sole staff was nowhere to be found. I love to get down on the ground and play with my son and I see that a lot of places, but here not so much. Maybe it was just the crowd this day but moms were just on their phones or chatting ignoring all their children. Perhaps if these children were well-behaved I'd have noticed less but I had to on several occasions rescue my son from being trampled over or pushed down so a kid could get a toy she wanted that he had. Bottom line: I would return to Nook during power hour but not regular pricing periods. Also, I'd only come back once my son is walking and can get more out of Nook.
• October 2019 by Sandralee S.
  If I could put 0 stars I would I called before coming and once I arrive they told me its by reservation they did not tell me this over the phone both of my kids were so disappointed and sad, we had to leave and would never come back to this place.
• October 2019 by Raha Y.
  Came here with my son, two friends and their babies. We came to check out a story time sing along class. We made our reservations online ahead of time for $20/kid and 1 adult. This also included 2 hours of open play time afterwards. When you get there, you are greeted and checked in. There is complimentary coffee and water. They show you the cubbies for your shoes and other belongings. The storytime sing along with speech pathologist Corinne was awesome! I didn't think our babies (all under 6 months) would really care for the activity, but they loved it! So engaging, educational and fun! The open play area was very soothing and Montessori-esque with simple wooden toys and various creative stations. I do think the cost is a bit steep at $20, but if you do the class and your little one enjoys the open play time, it is definitely worth it! Will keep an eye out for future events at Nook!
• August 2019 by Dolly L.
  Initially I felt that the admission was pricey but what they offer is ideal for a toddler who is ready to play and learn. The quality of the play objects and materials that are offered here is above and beyond any other I've seen in the entire DMV area. Even their selection of books reflects the mindfulness and thought that is put into this place. I also love that they offer various themed play times and even workshops/classes. I wish there was one in our neighborhood but I don't mind the drive as both locations are located in developments with plenty to do and eat before and after play.
• July 2019 by Damon B.
  I've been to Nook a few times now and am really impressed with them. I have only come to this location in Ballston. Everyone comments on the clean look of Nook. It's all birch wood, gray and white tones with minimal colors. When you arrive it looks like there's not a lot to do. Gone are the overly colorful play structures and toys of other indoor places. But Nook is so dense with things to do that you cannot help but be entertained. What I like best about Nook is its density of things to do, and most of it challenges my toddlers to think. There's everything from playdoh, to markers and sheets to draw on, a play kitchen, a ball pit, music area, wooden castle dollhouse thing with doll inhabitants, doll play area, and the climbing structure. Even listing it off doesn't sound as good as it is! The first time I came was early on, and they didn't have a full play day of reservations, allowing me to stay longer. We played for like 6 hours--the longest ever play time for my kids and they didn't want to leave. They also slept for like 24 hours hours afterwards, ha ha! The next time we used our reservation properly on a very hot, crowded sunday morning in which they were sold out all day. It was great then, too. We've since been back and enjoyed it every time. My kids never want to leave. A few of hints on how to do well here: - if you have two reservations (2 kids) make sure you mark the "2" box online, don't just enter their names and expect the system to understand because it does not. - wear socks, bring socks for your kids, bring extra socks for when yours mysteriously disappear. There are no shoes and socks are required here, but many kids removed them on my last visit and lots of gross adults didn't bother to wear them. Wear your socks. - they have wifi - you can almost totally detach and let your kids run around free. I hate helicopter parents and there are a lot here, but it's fun to watch your kids have fun so I don't blame people for hovering. - the climbing structure is enticing but it's really for 4 years and up. My kids always get stuck inside of it, which is totally fine but I have to rescue them. - bring a coffee mug, they have coffee and oat milk but they don't have cups to reduce waste. Okay that's not totally true, but c'mon, bring a coffee mug from home and save the environment. - parking in the garage sucks but it's only $1. Bring cash because the tickets always malfunction for me, and if you have cash you can just hand it to the attendant rather than paying with a credit card, which requires a whole lot of extra effort. Lastly, if you are trying to save money on playing here, buy a membership with multiple plays. It's the best way to save.
• June 2019 by JC D.
  We reserved Nook Ballston for our 3yo daughter's birthday party and it was a HUGE success. It was an easy process to reserve the space and then the Nook staff followed up after I made the reservation online. The staff, the Ehlin's (there's two!), were sooooooooo wonderful. They answered all my questions and were so helpful the day of the party. We brought our own decorations and had food delivered. They even allowed us to bring wine for the adults! The party room size is HUGE. There's a table in the middle for the kids and then plenty of side tables to hold the food/drinks/gifts/favors/cake. The actual play space is amazing and really spacious. As soon as kids entered, they started playing from station to station. I really like that the colors are neutral and the style is clean, organized and minimalist. Naturally with little kids there will be incidents! One toddler had a nose bleed and another had an accident. The staff quickly jumped in to help clean, sterilize and mop. This is really a perfect venue for kid's parties.
• June 2019 by Khadidja1 ..
  Love it I have a 11 years old who came with me at the birthday and she had a lot of fun. Very nice place
• March 2019 by Jamey B.
  What a LOVELY play space. As my above 5 child spends a good amount of time at the ice rink upstairs, I was excited for this place to open up for me to take my under 5 child. I've tried to walk in a few times but they've been booked (note: do make a reservation online!) We finally got lucky when our plans changed last minute, I swung by and we got in for an open play session. Expectations: You walk in and are greeted by staff who check you in (and take your money if you don't have a reservation), explain the rules (no shoes!), point to the water and coffee station, cubbies, and ask if you need anything. My 4yo ran off to explore. What is the atmosphere? Everything is grays and whites, with little splashes of color here and there in the play kitchen and montessori zones. (And according to the website 100% plastic free!) At first glance from the outside (when it was on Lee Highway and again when it opened in Ballston) I thought it was a bit bland, but it turns out when you are inside it's just SOOTHING. The soundtrack was pretty Disney when I was there but wasn't blaring, it was just gently humming along. The speaker is right in the adult zone. Do I have to helicopter parent my child? This is north Arlington and it's a playzone for 0-5s, so yes, there is a lot of active parenting. However, as my child is 4 I didn't feel the need to follow him around the space constantly, and only participated when asked to by my child. He was able to navigate all the toys, including the Helix by himself. Talk to me about the different toys: There is a good diversity in toddler to preschool friendly zones, incredibly well thought out. A montessori zone offers toddler toys from Monti Kids, a play kitchen attracted all ages while the Helix climbing structure was (as advertised) really suitable for the 4+ group. Coloring and playdough were hits with all ages. The stage and guitars attracted the preschool set for some impromptu adorable performances! The Helix was VERY cool because it got my kiddo and a few other older ones climbing and stretching and problem solving to climb through via a physical activity and not zooming around the place. What's it going to cost me? At $20 (we stayed for the full two hours) I didn't find this an unreasonable hit to my wallet given my child played with EVERYTHING.
• March 2019 by Kelley F.
  I've brought my two kids (ages 3.5 and 1.5) here twice. I agree with other reviewers that the aesthetics and staff are really lovely. And I very much appreciate the curated, non-sensory-overloading setup. That said, it is way overpriced at $20/kid with no sibling discount. It's just really a lot to pay for a pretty ball pit and a bunch of make believe places that are aesthetically pleasing but not necessarily that different than any doll house or play kitchen I've seen anywhere else. My kids have as much creative fun with the free train tables at Barnes and Noble/Kinderhaus Also, both times we were there none of the kids could figure out how to climb through the climbing structure - and it takes up a huge chunk of the space, so there's not a lot of room to run around otherwise. Definitely not a great place for burning energy, but certainly a very nice classroom-type of area if you've got money to burn.
• March 2019 by Naomi C.
  Tl;dr: This place is safe and clean with dope toys. These need to be everywhere. When we arrived, the young lady who greeted me was warm and welcoming. She took our names and found our reservation immediately. She then offered me a cup of coffee, and informed me of the one rule; shoes off! The space itself is bright, open, and all around aesthetically pleasing. There's a floor to ceiling cubby wall with books and plants displayed throughout to the immediate left of the entrance, and after that beverage station with the aforementioned coffee. A lovely little sign asks that you use your own cup if possible but to ask for a paper one from the front if not. There was coffee, oat milk (it's a nut free zone), and water available in lovely carafes. After storing your items and shows in the provided cubby corner in the back, you can nab some moisturizing hand sanitizer for yourself and your little one. They offer the regular pump bottle, and a spray dispenser (I assume to accommodate younger children). Onto the main attractions. Honestly an adult could spend an entire day here and not get bored, not to mention a kid. My 13 month old had a blast with the many delightful activities they had to offer, including coloring tables with dispenser-style paper sheets for creative minds to run wild, magnetic building blocks, an enormous (and gorgeous) wooden climbing helix that runs the almost the length of the facility and ends in an antibacterial ball pit, several mini automobiles (cars and a plane) for the little ones to scoot around on, and my personal favorite, a stage with an array of 3 string Loog guitars, and accompanying cards with easy to follow chord charts. They are vigilant with safety precautions as well; most of the edges of the furniture are rounded and there are corner guards on everything. It's generally just a very safe, and relaxing environment. The latter might seem surprising as it's filled with a bundle of energetic littles, but knowing that your kid isn't going to be touching something they shouldn't really knocks your stress level down by at least 70%. ‍
• February 2019 by Kimi S.
  AESTHETICS. I have been a fan of nook since their first location in Arlington but the Ballston Quarter flagship location is their most beautiful and well-thought out location to date. Many of the signature pieces were hand built by an American woodmaker and the result is a space that is both calming and fun oriented at the same time. TOYS. Both my daughter and I love test driving the very thoughtful toy selection here. My daughter loves playing with in the guitar corner and singing songs on the stage as well as the magnetic wood blocks and beautifully decorated play kitchen (I seriously wish it was my real life kitchen!) ACTIVITIES. It's not just a play place there are always bonus fun activities going on from live string quartets to a cookie decorating workshop with a local bakery! SERVICE. I had called with a few questions regarding membership and booking and was met with utmost professionalism and care. During our playvdate the employees made sure to keep the place clean, orderly and were so engaging with all the children. SNACKS. Children are served animal crackers on a tray. For parents they have locally roasted coffee from Rare Bird with my oat milk creamer. Even some of my favorite coffee shops in the city have not jumped on the oat milk trend so the fact this brand new children's play place serves it is super impressive. Even better -- it does not contain known allergens like soy and nuts which makes this a safe place for almost all. LOCATION. This is one of the first businesses to open in Ballston Quarter but will soon be flanked by some prime time post lunch date spots like True Food Kitchen, District Doughnut and Ice Cream Jubilee. Right now there is a Chick-fil-a open which I'm not mad about at all. I love the fact that this company is locally owned by two moms. It shows in all the details and I look forward to supporting this business in years to come!
• February 2019 by Gretchen F.
  The team at nook has done it again! They just opened their beautiful, brand new Ballston Quarter location last weekend, and it is perfect. It's located inside the mall, on the street level, across from where True Food Kitchen will be opening. The aesthetic here is very in-keeping with the clean, simple, design of their other space, and it's laid out a bit differently from nook's Mosaic location. Here at what they're calling their "flagship location," they really take their "nook" concept to a whole new level. There is just so much to do! From a row of drawing and crafting tables, to not just a beautiful Milton & Goose play kitchen, but adjoining play restaurant, to a stage with toy guitars for babes to rock their little hearts out, there is a true bevy of activities and entertainment for the kiddos. There's still a ball pit, ride-on cars, and other staples that my girl loves from their other location, and they also have also a large wooden climbing structure (for the bigger kiddos) here, too. One additional difference from their Mosaic location is also the party rooms in the back -- large spaces slightly separate from the main play area. Cubbies for shoes and bags are in the back as well, and they still have a coffee and snack station near the front, as well as a small seating area for parents to take a load off. Because this location has a lot more stuff in it, it is a little bit less open and thus it can be a little harder to keep an eye on smaller kiddos from one spot. So if you've got a little daredevil explorer, like me, you might have less freedom to take a load off, but it's still nice that it's there, haha. Loooong review short, nook Ballston Quarter is gorgeous and I'm sure a very welcome addition to what's shaping up to be a really fantastic collection of businesses, shops, and restaurants. I can't wait 'til BQ is fully open and fully functioning, but in the meantime, you'll definitely be able to find Penny and me at nook!