07/08/2026
Hello friends,
Thank you for following our journey here. We have an update.
The short version: it is difficult to start a business and balance family priorities, and we are taking a break from progressing Gnome & Fox Playscape.
The long version: this has been such an exciting adventure. We have made so many friends, learned so much about small business, and delved deeper into local government than I ever thought we would.
This journey started because we saw a need in Holland for a space young families, and we believed we could provide that while also maintaining our priorities as a family. As we learned more, the Playscape kept asking for more; more time, more energy, more money. With no prior experience in small business and very little reference for this business model, we were finding our limits by gut-feel. It is almost with grief that we realized that it has officially gotten to the point where we would have to sacrifice more as a family than we are comfortable with.
It is not a lack of passion or lack of need. We would still love to see a playscape or play cafe in Holland, but at this point, we do not see how we can do it oursleves.
All this said,
We would love to see this idea adopted by someone else in our community. We have made financial investment and budget estimates, website design, connections with the local zoning boards, and many other references. If you have a passion families and experience in small business (or a willingness to learn), please reach out.
Thank you,
Naomi & Matt
Gnome & Fox LLC
