New Harkins theater in Gilbert offers child care center

Young Matthew Lake had videos and popcorn on his mind as he walked into the lobby of the Harkins movie theater at Chandler Fashion Center on a recent Saturday night.

But the 5-year-old from south Chandler had no intention of watching a film with his parents, Linda and Ed Lake, on this particular evening. He was more into hanging out in the theater’s play center.

“It’s great. If this wasn’t here, we would never see a movie,” Linda Lake said as she paid the $6 fee for Matthew to go inside and play while she and her husband took in a movie that didn’t involve dancing cartoon penguins.

The grand opening of the Harkins SanTan Village 16 theater, complete with its own play center, today in Gilbert will allow more East Valley parents to go to the movies without having to hire a baby sitter.

The play center, which Harkins debuted at its Chandler Fashion Center location six years ago, was born out of Harkins President Mike Bowers’ family needs.

“Our three children were young at the time, and we found we couldn’t go to the movies,” said Bowers, who lives in Gilbert. “I thought if I had this problem, other parents must also.”

Bowers said the play center, a cheerful room off the theater lobby that operates during all movie showings, was designed with children ages 3 to 8 in mind.

“It’s not some crazy jungle gym. There’s a reading area, arts and crafts area, toys and games and, of course, popcorn and movies,” said Bowers.

Each child is given a numbered plastic wristband that corresponds to a number given to the parents so nobody else can pick up the child. Parents also are given a pager that will vibrate during the movie if they are needed back at the play center, which is under video surveillance for added security and overseen by a trained staff.

That sense of safety made Tammy and Mark Minhinnick of Ahwatukee Foothills feel better about letting their 5-year-old daughter, Tess, and 3-year-old son, Jack, try out the play center last weekend while the parents saw “Premonition.”

“It has big windows and felt safe,” Minhinnick said as she watched Tess and Jack make their way inside. Within minutes the siblings were happily snacking on popcorn in purple plastic cups at one of the little wooden tables and playing cashier with play center manager Chanel Coopwood.

Lake said she likes that Matthew was close by and she wasn’t leaving him for a long time.

“You feel like you can have a mini-date night.”