Book Play is our thing.
We call it Book Play.
We are more than a studio. We are a place where stories leap off the page and into little hands.
We believe books are powerful — that they shape identity, spark curiosity, and build empathy.
So we take stories and bring them to life. We paint them. We build them. We sculpt them. We turn words into lived experiences.
That's the whole thing. Reading & creating. We protect what makes this special.
We let them read. We let them create. We let them be little.
A studio built around the space between the two.
Come Join Us
Saturday is the easiest first visit.
Free Storyime & a Craft every Saturday at both studios || 10:30 am
Six corners. One good hour.
The Bookshelf
800+ picture books, early readers, and middle grade titles. All hand-picked, all at reach.
The Craft Tables
Sturdy workstations stocked with supplies. Three at Bowling Green, five in Richmond.
The Reading Nook
Cushions in a bay window. For the kid who wants to curl up with a story.
The Supply Station
Paint, brushes, clay, paper, googly eyes. Organized. Refilled. Generous.
The Display Wall
Where finished projects get celebrated. Your kid's art, on display.
The Sensory Bin
Curated sensory table, changed monthly to explore.
Here's how it goes.
Doors open.
Kids are welcomed in to explore the new sensory bin, draw on the chalkboard, or explore the new light table as they wait for friends to arrive. Grown-ups grab a coffee & a seat in one of our reading nooks.
Story hour at the nook.
Children gather round the teacher as she calls them to the bug rug, children pick a bug or flower to sit on, gathering around for Saturday's story. Parents are close by or browsng the shelves.
Tables ready for mess making!
The table is filled with a variety of craft suplies, waiting for the children to make a craft project based on the story that was just read. Kids aren't quite ready to leave. Families linger.
Lunch from across the street.
Families go find food. Kids come back with paint still on their hands. The book they read this morning goes home in a paper bag. The sensory bin is being explored and another drawing goes on the chalkboard.
Quiet. Sweep. Restock.
We tidy up, re-shelve, write tomorrow's story on the chalkboard. The studio continues to welcome stragglers as we clean up from the day's messes, ready for a new day to begin.
Loved:
Everything! The space is great, and the activities were wonderfully creative and allowed the kids to explore freely.
Improvements:
Nothing, keep being a lovely space for kids to grow!
Two studios. Same idea.
Bowling Green, Virginia
The original. A cozy studio & bookstore in a small town full of lots of books and creativity.
Richmond — Brookland Park.
Bigger, but curated offering more books and creativity in the city. Right on Brookland Park Blvd — walkable from the neighborhood.