For families living in the relatively freshly redeveloped South Loop and Near South Side, kid-friendly activities can be few and far between. Sure, the Museum Campus is right in your backyard, but there are few options for a place where kids can just let loose locally.

But a new business heading to the area is aiming to change that. Sprout Playroom, at 1454 S. Michigan Ave., is aiming to open an eco-friendly indoor playspace in April or May.

Cynthia Valenciana and her husband, Abdon, are currently rehabbing the building, the second floor of a former Buick dealership, and getting ready to outfit it for kids.

Living in Pilsen with two young boys, 2 and 5 years old, Cynthia Valenciana said she was growing tired of driving to the North Side or the suburbs every time she wanted to let her kids run around and play.

“I think it really peaked last winter — we had two little guys bouncing off the walls. We drove all the way to the North Side in a blizzard just for them to let loose for a couple of hours,” she said. “It was such a pain going back and forth, back and forth.”

So she and her husband decided to finally go for Sprout, an idea they’d had for several years. When they came upon the old Buick building, they were smitten.

“We were looking for something natural, kind of a raw space, and we wanted it to mirror our lifestyle,” she said. “We found this spot and fell in love with it. It’s got historic landmark status, and it’s just kind of taken on a life of its own.”

Aside from just having a space for kids to run around in, they’re focusing Sprout on being green.

“When we thought about our business, we sat down and drew up plans for creating a really stimulating, interesting space,” she said. “We’re working with vendors to seek out sustainable, green toys and products — and that literally goes from the wood to snacks we’ll provide for sale and retail.”

They’re also going to have classes for parents as well as a small boutique gift shop, she said.

“Equally important to me as a mom is our resource center,” she said. “We’re going to have a place where moms and dads can go when they need support and education, and we’ll have workshops that will help them on their request to be better parents and especially eco minded parents. It is a journey, and having a hub and having professionals that are guiding you on that quest helps.”

The boutique gift shop, she said, will focus on sustainably sourced small toys and gifts from local artisans, similar to what will be available for kids to play with in the playroom.

“If you think about going to a birthday party, there’s really nothing in the immediate area where you can go and get something environmentally friendly from a boutique,” she said.

It’ll be the first foray into storefront business ownership for the Valencianas. Cynthia worked in pharmaceuticals before changing careers and becoming a kindergarten teacher at Chicago Public Schools, while Abdon is an independent financial consultant. It’s been an adventure so far, she said.

Details on what exactly they’ll offer in terms of programming are still coming together, but they’ll offer open play time every day Monday through Friday, and on Saturdays and Sundays they’ll have a combination of open play and private events, as well as workshops.

They’ll have a jungle gym-like play loft, blocks and little cars, as well as a lot of toys that will be one of a kind, she said.

“It’s really taking shape every day,” she said. “But we have a vision for what we want to see in the space.”