Where the Wild Things Play is a boutique, imaginative, and active indoor play space for little people and their caregivers. With over 4,000 SF of space, we offer a safe, clean and comfortable environment where children can let their imaginations run free. Generally speaking, your Wild Things ages 8 and under will enjoy our space the most. However, using imagination and fostering creativity through play benefits children of all ages, so we have no age limit on enjoying play in our space!

Children can explore a variety of play options - from make believe to a more active play experience. Our space includes seven play zones, an active play fort with two enclosed turbo slides, and thoughtfully placed STEM activities throughout the space.

Designed with caregivers in mind, Where the Wild Things Play offers comfortable seating that maximizes sight lines across the space and a limited cafe where caregivers can relax, converse or catch up on work.

Bruno is our friendly one-year-old Citrus Bearded Dragon. He spends most of his time in the space, and loves to visit with our friends and exercise in our long hallway — he even comes to the door when he’s ready to come back inside! :) Bruno eats a very specific diet of meal worms, crickets, and a salad made of fruits and veggies. When Bruno isn’t at Where the Wild Things Play, he’s at “home” spending quality time with Lynn and family.

Fun Fact!

Bearded Dragons have been around since the time of dinosaurs!

Our Story

Owned and operated by mother/daughter duo Jess Callahan and Lynn Vastyan, Where the Wild Things Play is an imaginative and active indoor play space for little people and their caregivers. Born out of a dream to create a space where our children and grandchildren can let their imaginations run free while encouraging safe and active play, Where the Wild Things Play encourages children to explore the world of play wherever their imaginations lead them.

With deep roots in the Hershey community, we are excited to create a space where community comes together in a meaningful way – be it through open play, classes, birthday parties or special events.

In the middle of a pandemic, we opened our doors on June 5, 2021 (Lynn’s birthday!). This space has brought an entirely new meaning to our lives as we have formed deeper connections within our communities, with our team, and have watched so many of our members and guests come together in new ways as we’ve established our new normal.

Jess (who has three “wild things” of her own) and Lynn (who raised three children and now has six grandchildren) can be found wearing many different hats, all of which we are equally as passionate about. From dreaming up special events and classes for Where the Wild Thing Play to helping clients find their dream homes in Central PA in our other role as real estate agents – every day, we strive to make a positive impact on our community.

Kindness Policy

As the owners, it’s a top priority for us to create an environment where our guests feel welcome and appreciated, where they can play in a space where cleanliness is paramount, and both children and their caregivers can enjoy time together while making new connections in the community. 

At the same time, we are equally committed to creating an environment where our employees look forward to coming to work, where they feel like they can learn from each other, grow in their roles, and learn new skills that will serve them on future endeavors. 

In the world we live in, we’ve seen a loss of grace, patience, and kindness. As our employees are the face of our business, too many times they’ve borne the brunt of disrespectful guest behaviors. 

We understand that mistakes happen and that technology doesn’t always work perfectly. We are committed to problem-solving and welcome every opportunity to make things right when the mistake lies in our court. We believe problems can be solved without raised voices, profanity, name-calling, and disrespect. We are a family business that operates on family values. Moving forward, treating others with kindness and respect will be required at Where the Wild Things Play. By not abiding by these guidelines, we reserve the right to ask you to leave Where the Wild Things Play. 

We are so grateful for our guests - from members who come regularly to those who visit us from near and far, and we are committed to continuing to create a positive environment where kindness, grace, and respect are valued. 

Lynn and Jess