Wildings to continue to provide kids play place in Sandy after sale of Wippersnappers
By Brit Allen, The Sandy Standard
Last November, Hans Wipper and Tiffany Vanek celebrated 10 years of Wippersnappers Kids Play Place in Sandy, and reminisced about how their daughter Anika had gone from helping them dream up the play structures at 7 years old to working behind the counter at 17.
A few months ago, with Anika preparing to graduate high school and leave for college, the couple thought it was time they too started a new chapter, and they began looking in earnest for a buyer for the business.
“Seeing the kids have fun is the best, and helping the community,” Wipper explained. “But our daughter has just graduated and is going to college, and being on call 7 days a week for 11 years is a lot. We’re ready for a new adventure.”
Wipper added that they had the idea of selling for a few years, but only a few months ago did the right people surface to buy it.
As of Aug. 1, Wippersnappers became Wildlings - Sandy, a second location kids play place for Darci and Tim Hansford, who own a similar business already in Oregon City.
“We wanted this (service) to stay in the community,” Wipper said. “And we wanted to find the right people to keep it going.”
According to Wipper, the Hansfords had been looking for a second location for a while, and liked the idea of not having to build one from scratch by buying Wippersnappers.
“It all kind of just came together and was meant to be,” Wipper said. “They’ve done this for two years successfully. I think they’ve got the energy to take it to the next level.”
The Hansfords offered all existing employees the opportunity to retain their jobs, and many chose to stay. They’re also honoring Wippersnappers gift certificates and 10-time passes through Dec. 31, 2026.
Wipper and Vanek still live in the community, and plan to for a while, so they hope to still see people out and about, and at the community events they’ve always supported.
“I want to thank the community for all of their support over the years,” Wipper explained. “We didn’t take it for granted. We hope they give these new owners a try. We’ll miss everybody but we’ll still be around.”
“We’ll miss all of the events we got to be a part of (like family parties), and not being here to see the kids and parents enjoy it,” Vanek added. “It’s just time for a change, and for someone else to run it and make their family memories.”
Wipper and Vanek also wanted to thank and recognize longtime employee and friend Corissa Shaw, who was the first person on staff with them nearly 11 years ago.
“We really couldn’t have done it without that dedication and friendship,” Vanek said. “She’s been really supportive of this whole sale and plans to stay on.”
About the Wildlings Team
Before starting Wildlings in Oregon City two years ago, both Darci and Tim Hansford were educators. So the transition from teaching children to providing what is essentially an all-day recess facility was a natural one.
“Wildlings really grew out of our love for kids, families, and community,” said Darci. “As teachers and parents ourselves, we understood how valuable it is to have places where kids can play, explore, and just be kids, while parents can feel comfortable and connected too. We wanted to create more than just an indoor play place. We wanted Wildlings to feel welcoming and personal, like a place where families could meet up with friends, celebrate milestones, make memories, and feel like they were part of a community. Watching Wildlings grow into that has been one of the most rewarding parts of owning the business.”
Even more natural was making Wippersnappers their second location.
“When the opportunity to purchase Wippersnappers came along, it felt like a natural next step for us,” Darci explained. “We had already learned so much through building and operating Wildlings, and we loved the idea of taking that experience into another community. What made Wippersnappers especially appealing was that it was not just a business. It was already a place with history and a place where so many families have made memories over the years. We think that is really special. We saw an opportunity to honor what families already love about Wippersnappers while also investing in the space, bringing in some fresh ideas, and incorporating some of the things we have learned through Wildlings. We are excited to build on what is already there rather than completely reinvent it.”
Similar to Wipper and Vanek, the Hansfords say they “do not want to simply own a business that happens to be located in Sandy.”
“Community has always been really important to us,” Darci explained. “We want to actually become part of the Sandy community. We are really looking forward to becoming part of the Sandy community and getting to know the families who have supported Wippersnappers over the years.”
While Wildlings’ ethos is definitely similar to that of Wippersnappers, and the play structures have been retained, the Hansfords are excited about “all of the possibilities.”
Darci said they “have a lot of ideas, but we want to be thoughtful about how we introduce them.”
“We want to spend time learning the business, listening to customers and employees, and understanding what this particular community wants and needs,” she added. “We are excited to take everything we have learned from Wildlings, including the successes, the mistakes, and all of the lessons in between, and use that experience as we take on this next adventure. Most of all, we are looking forward to seeing families enjoy the space and creating a place where kids and parents both want to come back again and again.”
The main changes the Hansfords have planned or already implemented, include:
- Additional menu items that cater more toward the parents, such as more elevated food and drinks.
- Expanded hours to give families more opportunities to visit. The new hours will be Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- An additional larger party room to better accommodate birthdays and celebrations with bigger groups.
- Adding a dedicated sensory area.
“We know that every child plays and experiences their surroundings differently,” Darci said of the concept of a sensory area. “We want to provide a quieter space where kids can step away from the activity of the main play area and have a place to reset when they need it.”
“There will be other updates and improvements along the way, but we do not want to change everything just for the sake of changing it,” she added. “We want to listen to the families who already love Wippersnappers and combine that with what we have learned from Wildlings. Ultimately, our goal is pretty simple. We want to create an even better experience for kids and parents while preserving the fun, memories, and sense of community that have made Wippersnappers special for so many families.”
For more information about Wildlings, visit wildlingsoc.com.
Wildlings Play Place
16542 SE 362nd Dr.
Sandy, Oregon 97055
(503) 668-7221
Hours:
9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday
9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday
9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday