Today we’d like to introduce you to Saira Waheed.
Hi Saira, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My journey to Diggers Cove started long before I ever thought about opening an indoor playground. A few years ago, I was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer. Like anyone who hears the word “cancer,” my world suddenly became very different. Life became appointments, treatments, uncertainty, and trying to continue being a mom while processing something I never imagined I would have to face. Going through treatment changed my perspective on time in a way that is difficult to explain unless you have experienced something that forces you to confront just how precious it is. Before my diagnosis, I think I was like so many parents ,always thinking about what needed to be done next. The schedule, the errands, school, activities, responsibilities. There was always something.
After cancer, I began paying much more attention to the ordinary moments. Sitting with my children. Watching them play. Hearing them laugh. Going somewhere together without needing it to be a big occasion. Those seemingly small moments started to feel like some of the biggest ones. When I finished treatment and began thinking about what I wanted the next chapter of my life to look like, I knew I wanted to build something meaningful. I wanted to create something that allowed me to be present for my own children while also creating a place where other families could make those simple memories together.
That idea eventually became Diggers Cove.
The inspiration came from thinking about the kind of place I wanted to take my own kids, somewhere they could put down the screens, use their hands, get messy, build, dig, create and simply be children. I loved the idea of sensory play, especially sand, because there is something so simple and timeless about it. Give a child sand, a shovel and an imagination, and suddenly they can spend an hour creating an entire world.
From there, the idea continued to grow. I envisioned a space that combined that traditional hands-on play with interactive experiences ,a large indoor sand playground, construction-themed play, interactive drawing, an animated sandbox and spaces where children could explore at their own pace.
Building Diggers Cove has certainly not been easy. There have been months of planning, construction, delays, decisions, setbacks and countless moments when I have had to figure things out as I went. I entered this journey not knowing everything about opening a children’s entertainment business, but I knew very clearly why I wanted to do it.
Cancer taught me that we spend so much of our lives waiting for the big moments, when so much of life is actually happening in the little ones.
Diggers Cove is my way of creating a place for more of those little moments ,a parent watching their child proudly show them what they built, siblings digging together in the sand, a child discovering something for the first time, or a family simply spending an afternoon together.
Today, as I prepare to welcome families through our doors, that is what means the most to me. Diggers Cove may look like a children’s play space from the outside, but for me, it represents a second chapter. It represents choosing to build something joyful after walking through one of the hardest seasons of my life.
And perhaps most importantly, it is a daily reminder of something I never want to forget: the little moments aren’t really little at all.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It definitely has not been a smooth road, but I think that is part of what has made this journey so meaningful.
When I first had the idea for Diggers Cove, I had a very clear vision of what I wanted families to experience, but I had no roadmap for how to actually build it. I was stepping into an industry that was completely new to me, and almost everything had to be learned along the way. There is such a big difference between having an idea and turning that idea into a physical space. Finding the right location, designing the space, navigating permits and construction, sourcing specialized equipment, coordinating vendors, dealing with shipping delays, making safety decisions, and watching a budget while still trying to stay true to the original vision have all been learning experiences. There were many times when one delay created three more problems. There were things I thought would take a week that took a month. There were unexpected expenses and days when I walked into the space with a list of ten things to accomplish and left with a list of twenty.
At the same time, I was still a mom. I was still trying to be present for my children and my family, and I was doing all of this while continuing to navigate some of my own health challenges. There were certainly days when my mind wanted to keep going and my body was telling me otherwise. Learning to respect that without giving up on what I was building has been a challenge in itself.
I also think one of my biggest personal challenges has been learning to trust myself. When you are creating something that doesn’t already have an exact blueprint, you receive a lot of opinions. Everyone has an idea of what you should do, what you shouldn’t do, what will work and what won’t. I’ve had to learn how to listen, take advice when it is valuable, but ultimately come back to why I started Diggers Cove and what I want it to represent.
There have absolutely been moments of frustration, exhaustion and doubt. But strangely, the difficult parts have also made opening the doors that much more meaningful. I can look around now and remember when so many of the things in front of me were just ideas written down on paper.
I don’t think resilience means that something doesn’t overwhelm you or that you never question yourself. Sometimes resilience is simply waking up the next morning and deciding to try again.
That is probably one of the biggest lessons this journey has taught me: you don’t have to have everything figured out before you begin. Sometimes you just have to believe in your idea enough to take the next step, and then the next one after that.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Diggers Cove ?
Diggers Cove is an indoor sensory sand playground in Plano, Texas, created for children 10 and under and their families. At its heart, Diggers Cove is about giving children something that has become increasingly rare -the opportunity to slow down, use their hands, engage their imaginations and simply play.
What makes Diggers Cove unique is the way we combine traditional sensory play with interactive technology. Our centerpiece is a large indoor sand playground where children can dig, build and create freely. Throughout the space, families will also find a remote-controlled construction zone where children can operate RC excavators and construction vehicles, an augmented-reality sandbox that brings the sand to life, and an interactive creative wall where children’s drawings become part of the experience.
I wanted every area of Diggers Cove to encourage a different kind of discovery. Some children may spend most of their visit digging quietly in the sand, while another wants to operate every construction vehicle, and another may be fascinated by seeing their artwork come alive on a wall. There isn’t one “right” way to play here.
That is something I am especially proud of. We designed Diggers Cove to be sensory-friendly and welcoming to different styles of play. Not every child wants to run through a giant play structure or be surrounded by constant high-energy activity. I wanted to create an environment where children could explore at their own pace while parents and caregivers could be part of the experience rather than simply watching from the sidelines.
We also offer birthday celebrations, memberships, field trips and group experiences. Our birthday space incorporates interactive projection technology, allowing us to create celebrations that feel more immersive and personalized while still keeping the focus on children playing together.
But what I am most proud of isn’t any individual attraction. It’s the feeling I hope families have when they’re here. Diggers Cove was intentionally built around the idea that play doesn’t have to be complicated to be meaningful. Sometimes a bucket of sand, a little imagination and someone you love sitting beside you are enough. At the end of the day, we’re not trying to fill every second of a child’s visit with entertainment. We’re creating the environment and giving them the tools to create the experience themselves. That, to me, is what real play is all about.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
As a new small business, one of the greatest forms of support is simply giving us a chance. Come visit Diggers Cove, bring your children, experience the space, and tell us what you think. Every family that walks through our doors is helping us build something that I hope will become a meaningful part of the community. Word of mouth means so much to a locally owned business. Sharing your experience with another parent, leaving us a review, following along on social media, or telling a friend about us may seem like a small gesture, but those things genuinely make a difference.
I’m also very open to collaboration. I would love to connect with local schools, preschools, parent groups, therapists, community organizations and other small businesses that share our interest in children, families, sensory play and creating meaningful experiences. Whether that’s through field trips, special events, community partnerships or something we haven’t thought of yet, I think some of the best ideas come from people simply reaching out and starting a conversation.
And personally, I would especially love to connect with other women and mothers who are building something of their own or thinking about taking that first step. One thing this journey has taught me is how valuable it is to have people around you who encourage you, share what they’ve learned and remind you that you don’t have to know everything before you begin.Diggers Cove was created for families, so I want the community to be part of how it grows. Visit us, talk to us, share your ideas with us, and grow with us.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.diggerscove.com
- Instagram: @diggerscove
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61589294151310
