Toddlers take over the Green at UTC of Sarasota

By Lesley Dwyer
| 3:00 p.m. June 29, 2023

A one-hour playdate takes place every fourth Wednesday of the month at the Green at UTC.

East County
Neighbors

If you heard music and drove through bubbles in the UTC parking lot on Wednesday morning, it’s because there were a bunch of toddlers partying on the Green.

UTC Kids Club: Gameland is an interactive hour long playdate every fourth Wednesday of the month from 9-10 a.m. before it gets too hot to play outside. The series targets the preschool crowd. It began in February and runs year round.

It was another fun day June 28 as Lakewood Ranch resident Prescott Delk kept taking swings at a Tee Ball, while Palm Air resident Andrew Mullen dunked on the bean bag baskets.

About 80 kids, parents and grandparents attended the mega playdate. With 10 play stations set up around the Green at UTC, the bigger, more active kids wore themselves out with mini golf, Tee Ball and basketball.

For the less mobile crawlers, there was a maze set up with ball pits in between tunnels. Other stations included whack-a-mole and magnet fishing.

Sarasota resident Pat Gmerek babysits her grandson Maverick Cressy, who lives in Lakewood Ranch, on Wednesdays.

“I usually bring him to the Brats Club at 1 p.m. (at Nathan Benderson Park), so this is a little something extra to tire him out,” Gmerek said.

The playdate features mini golf, play tunnels, basketball, bubbles and more.

Lakewood Ranch residents Evelyn, Nicole and Bryce Stillman bring grandma Melissa Delaney to the playdate.

It's Lakewood Ranch resident Prescott Delk's first time at the playdate, but not his first time at bat. He hit the ball across the green.

About 80 parents, grandparents and kids attend the UTC Kids Club at the Green.

Lakewood Ranch resident Sofia Hernandez stops for a juice break, while mom Alicia assists. Each kid gets one free juice at the UTC Kids Club.

Country Club resident Charli Barragan is 21 months old and loves balls and bubbles.

University Park resident Sabine Ladwig and Sarasota resident Caleb Daniels make friends over a game of whack-a-mole.

Three-year-old Mila Hernandez from Sarasota goes fishing with magnets.

Sarasota resident Pat Gmerek is babysitting her grandson Maverick Cressy, who lives in Lakewood Ranch.

After a lot of tries, Palm Air resident Andrew Mullen gets a bean bag in the top basket.

Nokomis residents Zoya and Ella Kotsyuba like to visit UTC for the play area inside the mall, so they gave the playdate a try.

author

Lesley Dwyer

Lesley Dwyer is a staff writer for East County and a graduate of the University of South Florida. After earning a bachelor’s degree in professional and technical writing, she freelanced for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Lesley has lived in the Sarasota area for over 25 years.