Fascination Factory: A Play

Nov 06, 2023

As a fully unplugged play area, none of the toys at Fascination Factory have batteries, plugs or instructions.

After Lacey Foon’s twins were born in 2019, the former commercial real estate asset management and acquisitions professional faced some of life’s greatest challenges.

Lacey Foon

Amidst a pandemic and a breast cancer diagnosis, plus raising two small children at home, Foon realized she didn’t want to go back to working for someone else.

“That forced me to think about what I wanted to do,” Foon, 36, of Bloomfield Hills, explains. As she recovered from cancer and gradually began to feel better, she started to look for needs in the community coupled with things she was interested in.

Then, an idea clicked: She wanted to create a center for children that specialized in play-based learning, or a form of free play where kids can connect with people, objects, content and the environment.

“The birth of my twins really got me interested in early childhood education and play-based learning,” Foon says. “Especially with the pandemic, so many places for kids closed and there really wasn’t anywhere to take little kids in the Birmingham-Bloomfield area.”

It was the beginning of Fascination Factory, a colorful and spacious 4,500-square-foot indoor playground in Birmingham that offers play-based learning and STEAM-focused toys. As a female business owner herself, Foon chose to work with female partners, legal professionals and suppliers to bring the idea to life.

“Being a woman in business in a male-dominated industry, I wanted to help support others,” explains Foon, who is also the founder of genetic screening program JScreen Detroit and serves on the Hebrew Free Loan board and JFamily advisory committee, among others.

Creating Accessibility

Foon knew she wanted the center, which opened in April, to be easily-accessible for the Birmingham-Bloomfield community.

“I took everything that I didn’t like from places where I’ve been with my kids and looked for the opposite,” she says. “Most places are hard to park, so I wanted somewhere with [easy] parking.”

Located on East Lincoln Street, Fascination Factory sits in Birmingham’s rail district just minutes away from downtown. Nearby are other children’s activities, and a restaurant group will soon open next door to the center. “You can drop one kid at karate or swim, then come to Fascination Factory [with another],” Foon says.

Fascination Factory is a 4,500- square-foot indoor playground.

While the center was initially created for preschoolers and early elementary students, Foon noticed more and more people with babies were interested in coming in. She and her team, which is all female, quickly changed pricing and offerings to modify.

“It’s been really great to see the sense of community,” she says of the center’s positive reception. Not only do kids build connections with other kids, but adults interact as well, creating friendships and coordinating playdates for their children.

With few places in the area that focus on furthering brain development or social development, Foon says a center like Fascination Factory was needed. As a fully unplugged play area, none of the toys at Fascination Factory have batteries, plugs or instructions. Instead, they’re powered by kids’ creativity and curiosity.

“At home, we don’t necessarily have those things,” Foon says. “To get away from that and disconnect is really nice.”

Play-Based Learning for All

Fascination Factory is home to 20 activity stations that stimulate children’s imagination. There’s a building area with various building toys, and tables with trains, dominoes and cars. In the center of the space is also a family area where parents can grab a coffee or sit at a table with their laptop to get some work done.

As a fully unplugged play area, none of the toys at Fascination Factory have batteries, plugs or instructions.

The center also has a learning toys section with bins that are swapped out every few days, so they stay interesting for kids every time they visit Fascination Factory.

In case kids (or parents) get hungry, there’s a vending machine with healthy snacks, all of which are nut-free. Many are also friendly to other common allergies.

“As a mom, I know that snacks can be difficult when you’re out of the house,” Foon says.

Children are free to play as they like at the center, but they’re also supported by Fascinators (team members) who help kids navigate different activities.

On Sundays, Fascination Factory is closed to the public and only open for private parties. “There’s three time slots every Sunday when you can get the entire space to yourself,” Foon says.

Birthday parties are called “Piece of Cake” because all parents need to do is bring a cake; Fascination Factory supplies the rest, including meals and goody bags.

Fascination Factory is home to 20 activity stations

The center also offers specialty classes for children that include art, music and American Sign Language on Mondays.

While Fascination Factory may be relatively new, Foon already has big plans for the idea. “Everything I’ve done, every decision I’ve made has been with the idea of franchising it in mind,” she says. “I hope we have several franchise locations.”

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