Founded by a mom struggling with postpartum anxiety and
depression, The Canopy has opened in Williamsburg Brooklyn to support local parents
and give a warm, clean, gorgeous space for babies and toddlers.
BROOKLYN, N.Y., July 16,
2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Canopy is an
expansive play and movement studio designed as a haven for babies,
toddlers, and their caregivers. The interior design, layout, and
toy selection were informed by the Reggio Emilia and Montessori
educational philosophies.
"The space feels very safe - a rare gem
where you can actually relax and let the kids explore
independently. The neighborhood was so in need of a fresh space
like this."
Located in the heart of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, the
5,000-square-foot studio offers a variety of options for community
building amongst parents, caregivers, and little ones (up to 4
years old). Offerings include open play sessions (where babies can
practice skills like tummy time, crawling, walking, and sharing),
classes, events, and parties, all in a cozy, clean, and airy space
designed to foster community, creativity, and care.
Origin Story: When Founder Rachel
Beider's first baby was born in March
2020, just a few days following the first shelter-in-place
orders in New York City, she
realized that her experience as a new mom would be vastly different
from what she had planned for and expected. Postpartum
anxiety, depression, and loneliness set in. Without a community of
moms surrounding her, classes and "baby and me" activities to
engage in, or a designated "third space", she lacked camaraderie
with other new parents. A few years later, five months pregnant
with her second child, Rachel was determined that this time would
be different. She began thinking about how she could build a
comforting physical space that would help her and other new parents
feel supported. And thus, Canopy was born: a beautiful, safe, and
intentionally-designed space where moms, dads, caregivers, and
little ones can bond and find community.
Design: The historic Hecla Iron Works Building on North 11th
Street in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, houses both Canopy and the newest
location of Rachel's renowned massage studio, PRESS (which has four
outposts across Brooklyn and Manhattan). Gleaning inspiration from the
Reggio Emilia and Montessori educational philosophies, Canopy's
open floor plan features soft rugs, cloud-inspired pillows and
ceiling fixtures, mini play houses, swings, and plenty of soft toys
for babies and young children to explore (all hued with soft earth
tones). Crucially for caregivers, the space also boasts comfortable
chairs and couches for adults to lounge on. Canopy also
provides designated spaces for the littlest members of the
community to safely explore without older kids. Canopy is also
stocked with a full array of Healthy Baby's safe and effective
diapers, wipes, balm, and cream products for members to use.
Canopy offers founding memberships as well as monthly
memberships (more information available here).
Classes: Canopy is much more than just a play space, with a wide
variety of class offerings based on a rotating schedule. Classes
include World Music, Infant and Child CPR, Hypnobirthing,
Baby Wearing Dance Class, Baby Book
Club (story hour), Pelvic Floor Workshops, Meditation (adult
class), Infant Sleep Classes, Postpartum Workshops, Baby-and-me
Pilates, Family Photo Days, Sensory Workshops, Infant Massage
Workshops, Postnatal Mindfulness Classes, Interactive Story Time,
Baby & Me Yoga, Global Grooves for Little Explorers, Post-Natal
Yoga, and Prenatal Yoga.
Classes are open to all (babies aged zero through four, and
their caregivers, depending on the class), whether or not you are a
member – just sign up online, bring your socks, and enjoy.
Canopy also offers regular "Parent Playdate" - weekly meet ups
for the community to enjoy the space.
Parties and Events: Canopy also takes the stress out of planning
memorable parties for little ones. With an easy online scheduling
tool. Canopy's base party package includes 90 minutes of open play,
30 minutes of food and cake, a dedicated team of Canopy staff (who
will help out from setup to cleanup), plates and silverware, a
choice from multiple color theme options, custom baby signage,
juice boxes, and bottled water for 15 kids and up to 20 adults.
Add-ons like pizza, balloon arches, goodie bags, a photographer,
custom decor, temporary tattoos, and birthday cake and mini
cupcakes are also available. Full menus and costs are available
here.
Meet the Founder:
Rachel Beider is a globally
recognized small business expert, bestselling author, and
entrepreneur. She is the proud owner of PRESS Modern Massage, a
group of award-winning massage studios in NYC. Her work has been
published in Business Insider, Forbes, and HuffPost, with features
on Inc. Magazine and The Wall Street Journal. She released her
first book, a beginner's guide to massage titled "Press Here" in
January 2019, which has since sold
over 58,000 copies and been translated into nine languages. Rachel
first studied massage in Thailand
on a trip through India and
Southeast Asia, becoming certified
in Thai Massage at the WatPo School in Bangkok. Later she continued her education at
the Swedish Institute and became Licensed as a Massage Therapist.
She holds certificates from the NY Institute of Aromatherapy and
Ciniquieme Sens from Pratt. Rachel was also an Entrepreneur in
Residence at Harvard Ventures, working with female- identifying
students attending Harvard
University.
Member testimonials: "What a great new play space for the
neighborhood! The layout is so thoughtful and a great selection of
toys and playthings for all little kids from my 18 month old to my
4 year old. Everyone had a blast and immediately napped upon
leaving which is always a bonus! Highly recommend!"
"I'm a mom of two and a teacher of littles in a Reggio
Emilia-based preschool. Canopy has everything I would want for my
kids - and me. It has a wide range of developmentally appropriate
activities for the 3 and under crowd. There's ample space for
parents to meet with friends and relax and play with their babies
and toddlers. It's light and airy, spacious, with no
overstimulating bright lights and loud materials."
"Gorgeous, thoughtful & intentional play space for kids
under 4. My almost 4 year old had a blast at a birthday party here
and the space feels very safe - a rare gem where you can actually
relax and let the kids explore independently. The neighborhood was
so in need of a fresh space like this. Highly recommend!"
Connect with us:
LOCATION
118 North 11th St, Third Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11249
HOURS
Unlimited open play for members from 9am-5pm
WEBSITE
www.thecanopynyc.com
INSTAGRAM
@thecanopynyc
EVENT & MEMBERSHIP INQUIRIES
hello@thecanopynyc.com
PHONE
347-463-9571
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SOURCE The Canopy NYC