‘Now it feels like a village’: Chaos Corner in Millers Falls changing ownership
Published: 07-24-2025 10:08 AM
Modified: 07-24-2025 3:14 PM |
MILLERS FALLS — Just nine months after it was founded, new owners are taking over the indoor toddler playground at 26 East Main St.
Montague mother-daughter duo Carolyn Murray and Elyssa Carner took over Chaos Corner on July 1 from founders Caitlin and Brandon Thomas, who opened the imaginative play center in October 2024. The family of six is starting fresh surrounded by relatives in central Florida.
Caitlin Thomas said Chaos Corner has surpassed her expectations since it has been open and she wants to leave it in new hands to continue to benefit the community.
“When we had this dream to open, it was like, ‘We’re going to be a dedicated play space. We want parents to socialize.’ But now it feels like a village,” Caitlin Thomas said, adding how the shared values of family and community connected those who have visited Chaos Corner.
Thomas, who also owns a day care center called Chaos Clan, received her day care license in December 2023 and opened her day care in January 2024. Chaos Corner opened at the end of October 2024 with a goal of providing a play space for toddlers and young children, and giving parents an opportunity to meet other families.
Since opening, the space has created play stations like a cafe, a firehouse, a nursery and more, along with miscellaneous playsets, a sensory-safe room and a private breastfeeding space. Pre-packaged snacks and drinks are sold, and the space hosts private birthday parties and public holiday events.
In June, a post on the Chaos Corner Facebook page announced the new ownership plans.
“We decided we were going to look around into seeing if anybody had this same dream, and wanted to carry out the legacy, and that’s how we found Carolyn and Elyssa,” Thomas recounted. “Carolyn is the grandmother to one of my children that I still take care of at day care. I’ve been taking care of her grandchild since he was an infant. So it was a very small world.”
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As her family looks to the future, Thomas said the plan is to take it easy for a while after the move. Later, she hopes to continue her day care business and expand it into a similar space like Chaos Corner, but offer day care services at the same location.
Future of the businessMurray said she saw the advertisement for Chaos Corner online and felt that this was an opportunity to continue her passion for taking care of kids, and do it alongside her daughter, who agreed to join her in the business venture. The family had a celebration on July 5 with raffle baskets and playtime, as well as a chance for families to meet them as the new owners.
Murray and Carner intend to keep Chaos Corner’s structure. Carner and Murray said they see the space as a place for families to meet and connect, while also providing a valuable place for children to play and build social skills.
“I think it brings them a space to come and socialize their kids and be around other parents,” Carner said.
“It’s a safe space to meet other moms and meet other families,” Murray added.
The plan is to continue charging a $10.50 fee for each child coming in to play. Summer hours until August are Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Birthday parties can be booked on weekends. The business will post updates on its hours and events on social media.
Now that the new owners have had a few weeks to settle in, Murray said she has already discovered the hardest part of ownership.
“The hardest part of the job,” she said, “is figuring out where the toys go.”
For more information on Chaos Corner, visit its Facebook and Instagram pages or email chaoscornerplayground@gmail.com.
Erin-Leigh Hoffman can be reached at ehoffman@recorder.com or 413-930-4231.