ONCES Club: The Benito Bowl Pop-Up That Felt Like Home
- Natalia Ramos
- Feb 12
- 3 min read
The first ONCES Club pop-up happened at the Benito Bowl… but the story started long before that.
It started in Colombia.
If you grew up there, you know that onces isn’t just a snack. It’s not just coffee and bread or cookies in the afternoon. It’s a pause. It’s connection. It’s sitting around a table with your grandma, visiting family, catching up with friends. It’s the simple act of gathering.
It’s eating. It’s playing. It’s staying a little longer than planned.
And that’s exactly what ONCES Club is about.
From the Classroom to Community
Before building wedding childcare experiences, I was a teacher in Colombia. I taught all ages (preschool, elementary, older grades), and while the games changed and the conversations evolved, one thing always stayed the same:
The break mattered.
Snack time wasn’t just about eating. It was about recharging. Kids sitting together. Talking. Laughing. Resetting. Even as they grew older, that shared pause created connection.
When I started dreaming about expanding beyond weddings, I kept coming back to that feeling.
Not supervision.Not just childcare.
Connection.
ONCES Club was born from that idea; creating family-friendly pop-up play spaces inside real community events. Spaces where kids can play, and parents can stay.
The Benito Bowl Pop-Up
When we set up our first ONCES Club at the Benito Bowl in Montclair, I didn’t know exactly how it would unfold.
But within minutes, I saw it.
Kids who had never met before walked into the play space and immediately started playing together. No introductions needed. No hesitation. Just connection.
Parents didn’t just hover nearby; they sat down. They read. They danced. They interacted. They weren’t managing the moment; they were part of it.
The pop-up play area wasn’t chaotic. It wasn’t overstimulating. It was intentional, but relaxed. Casual, but curated.
It felt like onces.
The Quiet Problem ONCES Club Solves
There’s something that happens at many community events.
Parents either:
Don’t attend because it’s “not kid-friendly”
Or attend, but spend the entire time juggling instead of enjoying
Kids are often told not to touch. Not to run. Not to interrupt.
ONCES Club creates a different option.
It’s a kid-friendly community space designed with intention; where children can explore freely and parents can actually be present. Not hovering. Not leaving early. Not stressed.
It’s not a drop-off model. It’s not about separating families.
It’s about designing events that work with families.
How ONCES Club Is Different
Unlike Treetop Club (our structured wedding childcare service) ONCES Club is community-based.
It’s softer.
More open.
Less formal, but still intentional.
It brings curated play into local events, cafés, libraries, and cultural gatherings, creating a welcoming environment without turning it into traditional childcare.
It’s a pop-up play experience, yes.
But it’s also a mindset.
Why the Name Matters
ONCES represents:
Hanging out
Eating together
Playing together
Connecting
It reflects my teaching background in Colombia and the rhythm of gathering that feels natural, cultural, and rooted in community.
Watching children at the Benito Bowl instantly gravitate toward the play area… seeing parents sit instead of stand guard… that’s when I knew:
This wasn’t just another service.
It felt like home.
Want to Join the Next ONCES Club?
ONCES Club will continue popping up at family-friendly events and community spaces throughout the year.
If you’re a parent looking for kid-friendly events in Montclair and surrounding areas; or a local business interested in hosting a thoughtfully designed pop-up play experience; we’d love to connect.
And truly, thank you to Latinos of Montclair and Porta Montclair for trusting this idea and giving ONCES Club its first home at the Benito Bowl. It meant more than just hosting an event; it felt like building something together for our community.
Stay tuned for upcoming dates and announcements.
Because sometimes, all a community needs is a place to pause, play, and connect.
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