Summer Camp Arts & Crafts, Credit: Cori Nau, Marley & Moose staff member.
By Lisa Gage
When Brittany Baron, her husband Mike and their children moved to Berthoud five years ago, they immediately fell in love with its family-friendly vibe and small-town charm. After launching an online children’s boutique, Baron set about fulfilling her dream of opening a brick-and-mortar children’s retail store, featuring high-quality sustainable clothing and educationally-driven, handmade toys, all built to last. Marley & Moose, located at 520 Mountain Ave., opened soon after, in July 2023.
With nearly two decades of experience in public education and two degrees in early childhood development, Baron sought out toys that encouraged learning from the earliest ages.
Every brand and toy stocked is thoughtfully vetted for the quality one would expect in an early learning environment, reflecting merits for each stage of growth – such as developing fine motor skills for infants, moving toddlers from parallel play to social play and building frustration tolerance for learning new skills.
Baron, a mother of four, emphasizes that all toys and books must stimulate children’s curiosity and be fun to play with. An additional important criterion is for toys to be practical, life-friendly, eco-friendly and sustainable, and not just add noise and mess.
When the doors first opened in 2023, Baron invited the community in for drop-in weekly story times, and the enthusiastic response to this simple invitation sparked an idea. She immediately recognized that many young families, like hers, were moving into a growing Berthoud, and they were seeking places to meet other families in town.
“For so many families, Marley & Moose ends up being day one of finding their crew in Berthoud. Many of us are transplants without family nearby, so we’re recreating that village for each other. It doesn’t just happen by accident. It happens when people show up to story time, come to a class, or invite someone to sit and talk while the kids play.”
She set about creating a range of programs to meet this demand, including toddler and pre-school story time and enrichment classes, summer camps, special events, an after-school program and educational mini-camps designed for elementary-aged kids, ages 8-11.
To accommodate the need for additional space, she added a tent and patio for use during three seasons of the year, ensuring children get plenty of fresh air and space to move around.
Over the last few years, Marley and Moose has steadily grown into a community hub of learning, playing and socializing, for both young children and their caretakers, whether that’s mom, dad, grandparents, nannies, au pairs, or babysitters. Seasonal classes and camps are held weekly in the spring, summer and fall, while simultaneously offering special monthly events that coincide with other participating local businesses in town.
Summer Camp Knowledge Share, Credit: Cori Nau, Marley & Moose staff member.
The spring event season kicks off on April 3 with “Party on the Patio.” This free event runs from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., and is open to all community members.
On April 11, Second Saturdays begin with a “Little Gardeners” program, designed for children ages 2-10. This ticketed event is from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. To pre-register for this themed event and to view the full calendar of events, visit marleyandmoose.com.
Another popular event is “Friday Date Night” and a win-win for the entire family. Busy parents can enjoy dinner out in town, while their children enjoy a fun night with friends. Marley & Moose provides dinner and entertainment. Parents are encouraged to reserve ticketed sign-ups as soon as they are posted on the website, since it often sells out. These monthly events typically run from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., sometimes extending to 8 p.m. in the summer months.
For added convenience, summer events are offered by punch pass, a more flexible option designed to align with family vacation plans.
“Parents are working so hard to manage it all,” Baron said. “It’s a different landscape – technology, information overload, time spent researching, coordinating and scheduling activities. It can be overwhelming.”
She continued, “At Marley & Moose, it’s the human connection we value above all. Unplugging, slowing down, meeting new and old friends is priceless. We’re all craving spaces where we can be our authentic selves.”
Her advice for new parents is to “just show up.” Whether it’s the public library, attending athletic events, participating in downtown events, Baron says, “Just go!”
“My biggest goal is to organically create the spaces that people want. Spend more time together with people you already love, and pull in more friends. Not every town has this. We have such a gift in Berthoud, so go out and enjoy it.”
“We want to be more than a store,” Baron noted. “We want to add value to the community. The community we have found in Berthoud is magical. We have lived in a few places, and we realize how lucky we are. It truly is small-town living at its best, and we are proud to play a small part in that.”