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By Alex Amos

J&W Play World opened its doors to the public on Nov. 18, inviting kids from all over Troup to come and visit. 

Owner of J&W Play World, Fiona Cao, opened the facility in hopes of providing a special place for young children to play while assuring parents of safety. Cao had her own children in mind when coming up with the idea, of naming the facility after them.

“My kids are around six and seven years old, so I really wanted to make something for them to do after school,” Cao said. “I wanted them to be able to get their energy out in a safe environment, so they could sleep better at night.”

With a lack of indoor play areas for children in LaGrange, many local parents are excited about the new opening and the opportunities that may come with it. 

“I think it’s a great thing for the kids good opportunity to have something here in town so we don’t have to go out of town to find something else,” Local parent, Jason Sherrer said. “We’ll definitely be back in the future for events.”

Several indoor play areas in local towns are made for children who are in older age groups. J&W Play World has curated their facility to younger children to prevent injuries, while still allowing them to have enjoyable experiences. The facility allows children as young as two years old and younger.

“I think it’s awesome for the young kids because they don’t have much confidence and it’s a great opportunity to build that here, especially during the cold and rainy season,” local parent, Jordan Parmer said. “We felt the trampoline places in Newnan were a bit too big for our daughter, and when we found this place, we thought it was a great opportunity for small kids to come and enjoy it.”

Within the next year, Cao hopes to bring more locations of J&W Play World to Georgia, Alabama, and Louisiana. As an owner of several restaurants in the LaGrange area, Cao’s experience as an entrepreneur has only continued to grow with J&W Play World. 

“We are trying to build three locations by next year,” Cao said. “We’re going to look at new buildings next week for Mongomery, Alabama.”