As a Minneapolis newborn and family photographer, I get to spend a lot of time with families in the middle of real life. The messy, beautiful, exhausting, wonderful parts. And one thing I hear from moms constantly is that they want places to go with their kids that don’t feel like a survival mission. Places that actually feel like they were made for this season.
That’s the whole reason I started the Made for Minnesota Moms YouTube series. Real conversations with real Minnesota women who are doing something that genuinely helps families. And this episode might be one of my favorites so far.
Speaking of documenting this season, if you’re looking for a Minneapolis newborn or family photographer, I’d love to connect. You can reach out here or check out my work in Instagram to see if we’d be a good fit.
Today I’m introducing you to Liseli Radko, the owner and founder of Emery’s Playhouse in St. Paul. She opened this boutique and indoor play area in February 2024 and in just over a year it has become exactly the kind of space that makes you want to tell every mom you know about it. I went in myself before we recorded and I immediately called my mom afterwards. It’s that kind of place.
Meet Liseli Radko, Founder of Emery’s Playhouse
Liseli Radko is the founder of Emery’s Playhouse, a whimsical boutique and indoor play area in St. Paul. The shop carries thoughtfully curated baby and toddler clothing, toys, accessories, dress-up, party supplies, a balloon bar, and gifts you won’t find at big box stores. In the back of the shop is a magical indoor soft play space with a custom hand-painted mural, available for open play, private playdates, birthday parties, and events (and yes, I looked, and the ideas are genuinely good).
Liseli’s background is not your typical small business owner story. She went to school for culinary and pastry arts, worked in a hotel in New York after college, decided she hated it, and went back to school for graphic design. From there she landed at Macy’s corporate as an illustrator, pivoted into visual merchandising, earned a master’s degree in visual merchandising and 3D design, and eventually was recruited by Target where she worked as a toy designer and then on the kids’ team.
All of that, every single piece of it, shows up in Emery’s Playhouse. The way it’s laid out. The way things are chosen. The indoor play area. The way it feels when you walk in.
She lovingly named the shop after her daughter, Emery. The name came to her one night while she was nursing. It just fit.
What to Expect at Emery’s Playhouse
Before I get into the full Q&A, I want to set the picture for anyone who hasn’t been in to this boutique and indoor play area yet.
Emery’s Playhouse is part boutique, part children’s play place. When you walk in you’ll see a birthday party wall, a balloon bar, and a front display table that Liseli changes out with the season. There’s a toddler section, a dress-up section with sparkly pieces kids can actually get on and off themselves, a beautiful accessory section, a toy wall, and a baby section in the back.
And then there’s the indoor play area.
You walk through a curved doorway into a colorful, whimsical space with a custom mural painted by artist Laura Margot. It’s cozy, imaginative, and completely separate from the shop floor so kids can be kids while you actually browse. There are also some very thoughtful details back there that Liseli put in specifically for moms: a bottle warmer, a full-size changing table (not a flip-down one), wipes, A&D ointment, and even feminine products, because she’s been that mom who forgot something and she didn’t want anyone else to be in that spot.
You can drop in for open play during posted hours, book a private playdate or mommy and me session, or reserve indoor play area for a birthday party. Check the playroom calendar here for current open play times and to see what’s available.
Watch the Full Interview
If you want to hear Liseli’s whole story in her own words, including her New York roots, how her corporate career led her to this journey, and what it actually felt like to walk away from Target to follow this dream, press play below. Her warmth and genuineness come through in a way that’s hard to fully capture in writing.
If you’d rather read through the highlights, keep going. I pulled out every question and the moments that stuck with me most.
Q&A with Liseli Radko, Founder of Emery’s Playhouse
1. What made you start Emery’s Playhouse?
Liseli said it really was all her worlds colliding. The illustration work, the visual merchandising, the toy design, the kids’ team at Target. All of it was building toward something she didn’t have a name for yet.
When she got pregnant, she finally put pencil to paper. She started sketching out what the indoor play area and boutique would look like before she even had a location. She sat down with her husband and told him this was what she wanted to do. He didn’t waver. That support, she said, was the biggest thing. She went back to work after having her child and realized her heart wasn’t there anymore. So she left corporate and went for it.
She also did fairs before the shop existed, sewing and selling her own pieces. Customers kept saying she should open a store. That kept planting the seed.
2. Who is Emery, and what’s the story behind the name?
Emery is her daughter, in 2024. Liseli didn’t have a name picked out for the shop or for her daughter at the same time. When Emery was born she looked at her face and just knew. Then one night while nursing, Emery’s Playhouse came to her and it clicked the same way. She said it just felt right in her heart and she knew it was perfect.
3. Are you making any of the things in the shop yourself?
A few pieces, but not many because she can’t keep up with demand. She also works with vendors who sew for her, and she buys wholesale from makers who have their own lines. It’s a mix, all chosen by her
4. Was there a specific gap you were trying to fill in the Twin Cities, or was this more about creativity?
Both, she said. She spent years in retail watching customers get frustrated with the same options over and over. Big racks, no creativity, nothing that felt special. She wanted people to walk into Emery’s Playhouse and have a completely different experience. Not just a shopping trip they’d forget, but something they’d want to come back to.
The indoor play area was part of that too. She’d watched so many parents panic in stores because their kids were hiding in racks or running off. She wanted to give families a place where the kids are genuinely happy in the back at the children’s play place and the parents can actually browse without the stress. She called it filling a gap in the shopping experience, not just the product selection.
5. How often do you do events, and what’s the inspiration behind them?
She aims for monthly. The ideas come from what’s happening seasonally and what would be genuinely fun for the kids who come in. She knows a lot of them by name at this point, so she has a pretty good read on what lands.
Check the events page to see what’s coming up. I’ll be honest, I looked through the past ones and I kind of wished I was in the age range. They’re genuinely good ideas.
More Than a Store and Indoor Play Area
Something Liseli kept coming back to throughout our conversation is that people are still figuring out what Emery’s Playhouse actually is. They see “playhouse” and assume it’s just an indoor play area. They see “boutique” and don’t realize there’s a whole soft play area in the back. It’s both, and the combination is the whole point.
She didn’t build it to be another store you visit once and forget. She built it to be part of the community. Some kids come so often they run and give her a hug. Every person is welcomed and given space to just be. She poured everything she had into it and she said so many customers who’ve walked through the door have told her they can feel that. And that’s exactly what she was going for.
The Real Life Rescue Kit
At the end of every episode I ask my guests for three Minnesota-specific recommendations that actually help moms in real life. Here’s what Liseli shared:
Takeout rescue: Brasa in St. Paul. Liseli is from Trinidad, so Caribbean flavors feel like home. She orders the rice and peas, chicken, sweet plantains, and yuca fritas. Her Polish husband is apparently fully on board.
Kid-friendly outing worth the effort: Duck Arcade in Eagan. She and Emery went for the first time recently and she said she’s never seen Emery more joyful. The claw machines, the lights, the little carts for stuffed animals, the shaved ice with condensed milk. She recommends going mid-week when it’s quieter.
Local resource for moms: Dr. Janet Schaeffer, OB-GYN at Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park. Liseli has endometriosis and was nervous about finding a doctor in Minnesota after moving from New York. Dr. Schaeffer took the time to request her full history from New York Presbyterian and actually listens. She also delivered Emery, because Liseli wasn’t having anyone else do it.
Where to Find Emery’s Playhouse
A Note from Me
I started this series because Minnesota moms deserve real resources from real people, not just generic internet advice. Whether that’s finding a good OB who actually listens, discovering a beautiful indoor play area that doubles as a boutique, or just hearing from another mom who figured something out and wants to share it.
Emery’s Playhouse is one of those places I feel genuinely excited to share. It’s not just an indoor play area. It’s not just a kids’ boutique. It’s a space someone poured real thought and love into, and it shows the second you walk through the door.
If you want more conversations like this one, join my newsletter so you don’t miss the next episode. And if you’re still pregnant and getting ready for everything that comes next, grab my free Minneapolis Pregnancy Guide to get a head start on local resources you can actually use.
If you’re ready to document this season of your family’s life, I’d love to connect. Reach out here and let’s talk about what a photography session might look like for you.
Because this season goes fast. And it’s worth remembering.
Disclaimer: This blog post is for informational and entertainment purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical or parenting advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider with questions about your health or your child’s wellbeing.
comments +