Nicole and Alex Weirich and their four kids cut the ribbon on The Clubhouse Wellness Center in late August. Photo by Beth Malonoski
It’s easier to explain the new Clubhouse Wellness Center by telling you what it’s not.
It’s not drop-in daycare or eldercare, it’s not an indoor playground, and it’s not therapy.
What it is: a place for screen-free play – mostly for kids but also for grownups – that inspires connection, sparks creativity and fosters personal growth.
It’s also a gathering spot: for seniors to socialize over Dixie Picnic lunches, for parents to bond over crafts and yoga, and for kids to play, move and create in a relaxed setting without parents helicoptering nearby.
In short, it’s a club for, well, everyone.
Founders are Malvern native Nicole Weirich (Great Valley H.S. Class of 2008) and her husband Alex, a project manager and longtime coach of his kids’ Chesco sports teams.
As a mother of four and a special ed teacher with a master’s in school psychology, Weirich saw firsthand how kids can have a hard time navigating social challenges amid the twin pressure cookers of demanding academics and competitive extracurriculars.
She would take her kids to large indoor play spaces to blow off steam but she always left feeling “exhausted from chasing them around for hours.”
Kids enjoying the indoor play and craft spaces at The Clubhouse Wellness Center. Photo by Beth Malonoski
She decided to create a more intimate place where kids can play in supervised small groups and parents can take a breather.
“I’ve never seen this concept before,” Weirich says. “It’s so simple but it’s not out there.”
Instead of a cavernous warehouse, the Weirich’s chose a warren of rooms in Valley Forge Commons, a leafy office campus near Pawlings Rd. on the outskirts of Phoenixille.
“We liked the small nooks and spaces – it really felt like a clubhouse,” Weirich recalls.
Planned activities, games and crafts take place in cozy rooms, all cheerfully decorated by the Weirichs and given such names as The Nook, The Studio, The Teen Loft, The Adult Yard, The Zen Den and La Cocina and The Nook.
“The Yard” on the lower-level is an open-play room with foam bricks, hoops, netting, hanging swings and a slide.
The Pitch – an expanse of turf for group play like Corn Hole, pickleball and speed drills – promotes good sportsmanship. An outdoor picnic area is available for warmer weather activities and camps.
Kids are separated by age and The Clubhouse team leads all activities. Current staff have experience in adult fitness, youth sports, art and early childhood education.
Registration is done online. Borrowing from the more flexible fitness-studio model, The Clubhouse offers memberships and sells multi-class packs and single-session drop-ins. Because family schedules change from week to week, there is no need to commit to a series of sessions on a specific day.
In addition to individual play sessions, there are options for moms with babies & toddlers, preschoolers, Teen Time, Friday night “Happiest Hours,” Saturday Socials, Sunday Sips workshops for adults, monthly lunches for seniors, summer and holiday camps, adult yoga and school closure drop-off days. The space can also be rented for private parties and celebrations.
Homework support isn’t currently offered but Weirich says she’ll tweak programming as she receives community feedback.
But one thing won’t change, she assures us. The Clubhouse will remain a low-pressure place open to all.
Says Weirich: “You don’t have to be good at a particular sport or activity to participate. No one – at any age – should have to wait for an invitation to a play date.”
The Clubhouse Wellness Center, 1288 Valley Forge Rd. #87, Phoenixville, offers morning,afternoon and evening sessions Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays with advance registration.
I would love to connect. I work for a nonprofit in town and we do after school STEM and bookclubs. Maybe there’s a connection to be made!