The Ward Church Playscape, located at our Northville campus, is for children 12 and under and is free and open to everyone 5 days a week. It is available for private party rentals on Saturdays. So whether you’re stopping by to let your children work off extra energy, meeting some friends to reconnect while your kids play, or want to relax while your kids play in a safe, fun environment, we hope you feel at home and know you are welcome. Parking near and entering through Entry 1 or Entry 3 may be the most convenient route to the Playscape.

Regular Hours:

  • Monday – Friday: 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. (with an hour for cleaning from noon-1 p.m.).
  • Saturday: private party rentals only
  • Sunday: 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

For holiday hours, see the FAQ’s below. For special closures, look for a notification alert banner pinned to the bottom of our website.

For a safe and fun environment

In order to help us provide the safest and most enjoyable experience for all of our guests, please follow the guidelines below:

  • The Playscape is not attended and parents / guardians are responsible for the supervision of their children. Specific guidelines are located at the entrances to the Playscape.
  • Children must be 12 or under and accompanied by an adult.
  • Adults must have an accompanying child to enter.
  • Please remove shoes and wear socks while playing.
  • Please be considerate of others.
  • Please keep food and beverages outside the Playscape area, and on one of the tables provided in the Main Hallway.
  • On heavy traffic days, please limit your visit to two hours.

FAQ’s

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the Playscape closed?

  • The playscape (and Ward’s building) is closed each year on the following holidays (or on the observed day): New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving (and the day after), and Christmas Eve through New Year’s Day.
  • Please contact the church at 248.374.7400 for weather-related closures. This information will be available on our voice message. If media coverage shows that Ward Church is closed, that also includes the Playscape.

Do you have a Lost and Found?

Things that are lost and found in the Playscape area are located in or above the shoe/locker style benches. There is a second lost and found location in the cupboards/drawers labeled lost and found near Entry 4.

Can my babysitter/child care giver bring the kids to the Playscape?

Yes, as long as he or she is over the age of 18. Children under the age of 18 need to be accompanied by an adult 18 years and older.

How often is the Playscape cleaned?

Our Playscape is thoroughly cleaned and disinfected each day prior to opening and also from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. each day. High dusting of the major components occurs every couple of weeks. We kindly request that you do not bring your child to play if they have signs of illness.

Private Party Rentals

The Ward Church playscape is available for private party rentals on Friday evenings, all day Saturday, and Sunday afternoons. The rental fee is $50 per hour and includes the Playscape and adjacent rooms, Creative Labs A + B. Maximum capacity is 40 people. Tables and chairs are provided in the adjacent rooms at no additional charge. Discounts are available for Ward Church Members, current Ward Weekday Preschool families, first responders, active military and veterans.

  • Thursdays: You can reserve a maximum three-hour time slot from 5 p.m. – 8 p.m.
  • Fridays: You can reserve a maximum three-hour time slot from 5 p.m. – 8 p.m.

  • The playscape is not available for private rentals on Thursday or Friday evenings during summer months, beginning 6/19 and ending 8/18.

  • Saturdays: You can reserve a maximum four-hour time slot on Saturdays with a start time of 10 a.m. or an end time of 5 p.m. If there is a party reserved on a Saturday currently, we must have one hour between a second reservation.
  • Sundays: You can reserve a maximum three-hour time slot on Sunday afternoons from 2 p.m. – 5 p.m.

Bookings open at the start of each month and are available 6 months in advance. For example if you are looking to book June 6, you would be prepared to book January 1. Please respect our staff’s time by not submitting anything further out than 6 months. Thanks in advance for your cooperation and understanding!

To begin the process of renting the Playscape and adjacent rooms, please review our availability calendar via the button below. Once you’ve identified an open date, press the “Submit Event Request” button at the top right corner of the calendar.

Please note:

  • Everything listed in red is current reservations and means that date/time is NOT available.
  • Pending requests are not visible on the availability calendar.
  • If your request conflicts with a pending request in our approval queue, you will be notified by a declined request email within a week.
AVAILABILITY CALENDAR

 

For questions about private rentals, email Lisa Ordus at Lisa.ordus@ward.church.