Parents Mourn Impending Jack and Jill's Closure

A little girl is bent over a drawing at a small worktable, while a toddler has put on dress shoes and a cape and is waving his arms like a magician. Nearby hang costumes and someone is cooking up a pretend meal in the little kitchen to feed her dolls.

This hive of activity is a typical morning at , a play center on Western Avenue and Keller Street. But last week, Petaluma parents were stunned to learn that the business would be shutting come April, another victim of the recession and the summer slowdown.

“We put our heart and soul into this and had every intention of being around for a long time” said Laura Easley, who co-owns Jack and Jill’s with her sister-in-law, Dionne Mantoami. “But that three to fourth month span in the summer is slow and it’s been hard to make the business go when it’s so seasonal.”

Parents say the business, which opened in 2008, will be sorely missed. Unlike companies that put out a jump house and “let the kids at it”, Jack and Jill’s prides itself in creative play, with arts and crafts tables, playhouses and miniature markets that encourage kids to be imaginative as well as learn important social skills.

“There is nothing like this in Petaluma,” said Annika Erickson, who often brings her four-year-old son, Leif, to Jack and Jill’s. “The kids are in a contained space and parents can meet here for play dates or chat over a cup of coffee. And there is WiFi, so you can get some work done while they play.”

"In cold weather, there are only so many things you can take your kids to," said Julia Rausco, who brought her two daughters, ages 2 and four months to Jack and Jill's on a recent day. "This gives them a chance to explore their motor skills and is very freeing."

The business was born when Easley and Mantoami, who live in Penngrove and have three children each, realized the area didn’t have many options when it came to entertaining their kids.

“We were always looking for things for them to do,” Easley said. “And we love to throw birthday parties and things and thought it would be fun.”

The parties used to be a big draw, but with the economy, Easley noticed fewer parents wanting to shell out $220 and up for a party.

“If you don’t have money coming in, you cut out things like paying for parties,” she says. “You just do your own.”

The business is scheduled to close April 10 and Easley and Mantoami are seeking buyers, someone to take over what they began. If not, the business that offered kids a creative outlet and stressed out parents a break, will shut for good.