The Playscape Brings Purposeful Play to Hyderabad’s Kids
The Playscape, an experiential indoor play space in Hyderabad, offers immersive role-play, STEM, sensory and creative activities for children aged one to ten. Founded by Abhigna Sai during the COVID-19 pandemic, it aims to integrate play with child development while also providing a relaxing environment for parents.
Child development: For children, a day at The Playscape can mean pretending to run a home one minute and becoming a little scientist the next. The experiential indoor play space in Hyderabad is designed for children between one and 10 years, bringing together different environments where they can play, explore and discover at their own pace.
The idea for The Playscape came from founder and CEO Abhigna Sai’s own journey as a parent. During the COVID-19 pandemic, while expecting her first daughter, she began exploring child development and reading about Montessori, Reggio Emilia, sensory play and gentle parenting. She started creating play setups and activities at home and observing how her daughter interacted with them.
“I wasn’t reading because I planned to start a business then. I was simply fascinated as a parent,” said Abhigna.
The concept moves beyond the traditional indoor play area, where children mainly engage with slides and soft-play equipment, and instead offers experiences designed around different aspects of development.
“The biggest difference is that we don’t see play as just entertainment, we see it as an essential part of child development. Instead of focusing only on slides and soft play equipment, we’ve created an immersive role-play town, sensory experiences, STEM activities, creative maker spaces, music, water play, climbing challenges and imaginative environments to nurture the whole child,” adds Abhigna.
Among the spaces is a role-play village, including a pretend house where children can recreate everyday situations. The Wonder Lab introduces them to simple STEM concepts through hands-on experiments, while the makers’ space encourages them to build and create. Music, water play and adventure climbing bring movement into the experience, while dedicated areas cater to toddlers.
“The Playscape was born from the belief that play is one of the most powerful ways children learn. Every zone, activity and experience has been carefully designed from scratch with that philosophy in mind,” said Abhigna.
The centre also puts emphasis on the experience for parents. Families typically spend two to three hours at The Playscape, with children moving between different areas during their visit. The space is designed to allow parents to relax while their children remain engaged.
Since opening, The Playscape has also become a destination for birthdays and family celebrations, alongside regular visits.
Ultimately, the idea is not to make children feel like they are learning. It is to give them the freedom to play, while the environment quietly encourages curiosity, confidence, creativity and problem-solving along the way.