Like many people before parenthood, Crystal Crews used to be tidy. It wasn’t until her first child became an avid little maker who wanted to keep every bit of trash to transform it into something new that she learned to embrace the mess. “It completely changes you,” she says with a laugh. “I am no longer afraid of messes at all.”
After years of experience running an in-home daycare and several arts-and-crafts pop-ups at Tower Groves Farmers’ Market, Rockwell Beer Garden’s Farmers’ Market, and the Macklind Days festival, the now-mom of three is ready to help other families experience the same worry-free creative process in her new makerspace: Macklind Make & Play (5353 Devonshire), slated to open February 1 in the Macklind Business District at the corner of Devonshire and Macklind.
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Having hosted Ms. Crystal’s Makerspace pop-ups, Crews says her goal for the space is to let imaginations run wild—and to let the stress melt away for parents and kids alike. “One of the things that I have noticed through doing this is how excited kids get when I say, ‘Do whatever you want with it: Go ahead, glue that to that. Paint that thing,’” she says. “They always look to the grownup in the room to see if they’re going to say yes or no. And when I say yes, the look on their face is like, ‘Really?!’ So it started with me trying to give kids more opportunities like that.”
What Crews didn’t expect through her work was how much it uplifted the parents as well. “I ended up noticing how therapeutic it was for parents to let their kids have that outlet and not have it be at home,” she says. “For them to be able to step in and say, ‘Hey, take a deep breath. It’s OK. It doesn’t stress me out, so it shouldn’t stress you out.’”
The Experience
Macklind Make & Play is recommended for elementary-age children and younger, Crews explains, with more specific ranges geared toward certain times, such as morning sessions for toddlers. Playtime structure is led by the kids themselves.
“I always say the kids have lots of opportunities to do creative things, but so often those things are guided or the supplies are limited,” Crews says. “Very rarely do they have the chance to just kind of let their ideas run things. So I always say that we are a try not to say ‘no’ when it comes to their creative ideas. We try not to manage things too much—we want them to take control.
Little makers will have open access to “all of the art supplies that you could possibly think of,” adds Crews. Macklind Make & Play will offer a range of arts-and-crafts supplies, from dot markers to watercolors to beads for jewelry-making. Crews also plans to provide STEM-related playthings, such as LEGOs, building blocks, and Lincoln logs, as well as sensory-related items, such as sensory tables and different materials that kids can touch and feel. “We’re a let-them-mix-the-Play-Doh-together-to-see-what-happens kind of place. Just let ’em do it,” Crews says.
Come spring, Crews plans to add clubs, such as crafting clubs, builders clubs, and more for older children. “As a makerspace, we want to let these kids explore, use their hands, come up with an idea, try to figure out how to make that idea work, and then actually put that to use.”
Parents won’t have to bring a thing to Macklind Make & Play; Crews plans to have aprons, smocks, wipes, hand sanitizer, a kid-size sink, and other supplies to make it a smooth experience. As it’s a messy play space, she adds, parents shouldn’t dress kids in their Sunday best and should consider bringing a change of clothes.
Macklind Make & Play will be housed in 1,250 square feet, all of which will be visible from every vantage point for parents’ comfort. Crews plans to separate the space into a messy play zone, where children can paint and create, a sensory play zone, an arts-and-crafts zone, and an open play floor.
The business will be open daily from 9 a.m.—2 p.m. for unlimited open play time, which complements the hours of Espresso Yourself, the next-door coffee shop, for convenience. Walk-ins are welcome, but Crews adds that guests can call to schedule a play time in advance.
The Community
For Crews, community has always been the driving force behind her success, and Macklind Make & Play will be no different. “Our big focus is to bring the community together,” she says. “So as we move forward, we plan to have some sort of a nonprofit aspect, so that we can be giving back to the community.”
Crews plans to collaborate with next-door Espresso Yourself coffee shop for events and menu items. The idea, she says, is that parents can grab a coffee or lunch before and after play.
The Macklind Business District as a whole inspired Crews to select the location. “The business district is very active for families. We have Clementine’s, a charming candy shop, and lots of restaurants, so I’m hoping to partner with all kinds of other businesses over time.”
The fact that her business will be nestled in a family-friendly city like St. Louis, Crews adds, makes all the difference. “St. Louis is just amazing for community and hosting events and growing business—we have so many different little communities that are hidden gems,” she says. “There are so many other neighborhoods like this in St. Louis that I just don’t even think people realize that they’re there unless they live in the area.”
Know Before You Go
Macklind Make & Play (5353 Devonshire) is slated to open February 1.
The space will be open seven days a week, from 9 a.m.–2 p.m.
Admission is $13.50 for the first child and $12 for siblings.
Crawlers have free admission with paid sibling.
