After months of extensive renovations, a space that once housed the Tamaqua YMCA will reopen as a day care center and preschool — and a second site for Kids Corner of Summit Hill.

“This area was having day care issues,” Kids Corner co-owner Adrian Bennett said of the shortage of facilities. “We decided to look out into the community to do something, and at the same time expand our program and offer something a little different.”

Folks will have the chance to see the colorful, interactive and educational facility during open houses scheduled for 4 to 7 p.m. today and 10 a.m. to noon Saturday. They’ll also hear about the day care’s second phase: an adjoining “play place” that will be open to the public.

The 8,000-square-foot day care facility at 1201 E. Broad St., which is inside what many refer to as the Jamesway Plaza, is capable of housing around 100 children, from 6 weeks to 12 years old, during weekday hours between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.

When eying a spot for the new location, co-owner Elizabeth Phillips recalled walking into a vast, open space.

“There was nothing here,” Phillips said, motioning around her.

“Now we have a completely different layout,” Bennett added.

Walls were added to create “rooms” for each of the day care’s age groups, as well as for a party room, a space for children with special needs, and a huge play place area.

All are decorated in a whimsical way, with a castle the dominant theme.

“We have a little castle here,” Bennett said. “We wanted to build something that kids hadn’t seen before. We wanted to give them a different environment.”

The front entrance area — complete with parapets — joins a hallway draped in vines, flowers and forest creatures. A wooden door to the preschool opens to reveal a wall covered in twinkling lights, “hidden” play areas and games galore.

“We like to spark the children’s imaginations,” Bennett said of the décor.

A telescope and spaceship, along with letters and numbers, are at the ready as a way to introduce children to science, reading and math.

Areas for other age groups are similar with bright colors, fun toys and pint-size furniture. A room for infants is lined with cribs and covered in a soft carpet. Plus, there’s a separate cozy area for parents to gather.

The Y’s gym remains, providing a space for children to play, learn how to ride a bike or do other physical activities.

“Having a gym helps, especially with the high-energy kids. Being able to get that energy out will help with behaviors,” Bennett noted.

“In the future, we are going to have an outside play area,” Phillips added.

Also, the center will soon add a play place called “Half Pint City.” It will be fashioned like a town and include a post office, restaurant, firehouse and police station.

“We want them to have little jobs. We’ll have a firehouse, and they will have to run fire drills, check on smoke detectors and so on. We want them to have a responsibility,” he said of the imaginative play.

A supermarket will allow them to shop, and exchange “money,” enabling them to count and make change.

The play place will be open to day care children in the mornings, and others on weekends, afternoons and evenings. A party room is under design, and will be available for rent.

A “spectrum” room is also in the works.

“This will be for children who have any types of needs. They will have a place to go,” Bennett said. “If you are having a tantrum, this is a place to come and calm down. If you have therapies, it is quiet place to come to and (therapists) are able to focus on the child and the child is not distracted by what their classmates are doing.”

Enrollment is being accepted. More information is available at www.kidscornerpa.com or by calling 570-732-0461.

“We think this place will do well. We think the parents will appreciate it,” Bennett said.