This year welcomed the arrival of The Little Calf to Ilkley – a beautiful and engaging space in the centre of town where toddlers can play and explore while their parents relax and unwind with a good coffee and tasty food.

Pictures by: Lottie Bone Photography

After eight years working as a primary school teacher and as the mother of two young children, Rachel Boxhall-James is well versed in the demands of toddlers.

And so, when the opportunity arose to take over a space in Ilkley where she could create a safe and fun environment for parents and their pre-school youngsters to come and play, she jumped at the chance.

Now, just months after opening the doors of The Little Calf, Rachel is delighted with the response from customers and has been inundated with bookings from parents who are bringing their children to enjoy a fun-filled session at the welcoming space on Church Street.

Lovingly designed with an array of engaging play areas including a mini-Ilkley which has a role play café, a vet area, a reading nook, plus slide and ball pit, the brightly coloured space is going down a storm with parents and children alike who have welcomed its arrival.

And Rachel’s hard work in creating such an engaging space has already been rewarded after her new venture was voted Best Family Friendly Café at the recent Yorkshire Tots to Teens Awards.

Talking about the business, Rachel, who as a teacher specialised in creative writing and getting children to use their imaginations to bring words to life said: “After having two children of my own I realised there was just nothing in Ilkley where I could take my two small children. I grew up in Addingham and have always loved coming to Ilkley but found it really lacked things to do for their age range.

“Our goal was to create a beautiful, welcoming space where parents could enjoy a coffee, some tasty food while their children are safe to play, explore and imagine.”

Designed for children up to the age of six, Rachel’s vision was to create a community for families where parents can meet other like-minded parents while at the same time providing a unique and versatile play area for the young ones.

Alongside the activity areas, The Little Calf is also home to a large space with freestanding toys which link to the early years curriculum and provide stimulation and inspiration.

With learning and interactive activities high on the agenda, Rachel also arranges special visits from children’s entertainers to keep the kids fully engaged.

She said: “So far we have had visits from Ms Rachel and Elsa Princess who sang songs, read books and entertained the children while the Lion Learners brought in a variety of animals for children to learn about and hold, which they absolutely loved.

The Little Calf is open to all on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday with Sundays reserved for private parties.

Each day features three sessions, each lasting 90 minutes: (morning sessions 9am – 10:30am, midday sessions 11am – 12:30 pm and afternoon sessions 1pm – 2:30pm.

You can book your play session online at thelittlecalf.com or call 07933 854479 with any questions.