Parents are looking for a place to keep their kids moving, learning and off screens. And a new type of design firm is ready to build it for them.

The big picture: Fueled by viral Instagram tours, bespoke playrooms have become the latest luxury home upgrade — with some builds costing six figures or more.

Zoom in: Austin-based Little Spaces owner Sphurti Sa tells Axios she's seeing the trend play out here, as families look for indoor fun when summer temperatures creep into the triple digits.

• "Over the past few years, there's been a shift toward more screen-free play — parents are investing in experiences and environments for their kids rather than just more things," says Sa, whose business converts unused areas of homes into play spaces.
• "It's a very local need. We're an active, outdoorsy city, and I design spaces that support that same kind of movement at home."

State of play: Pinterest searches for "screen-free activities" are up 200% year-over-year, per the platform's 2026 Parenting Trend Report. "No phone summer" is up 340%.

• "DIY kids playground" is up 630%.
• And "sensory play ideas" are up 1,070%.

How it works: Little Spaces creates playrooms that can include climbing walls, monkey bars, foam pits and swings.

• The custom playrooms start at $5,500 and can cost up to $35,000 depending on the scope, according to Sa.
• Sa can create playrooms for any space — from a hallway to a renovated attic.
• "For tighter spaces, we can transform a single wall into a dedicated gross motor zone — supporting climbing, jumping, swinging and crashing," she adds.

The bottom line: Thoughtful play doesn't require a major investment.

• One low-lift tip: Install a ceiling swing hookup. For $15–$20 in hardware, it can hold a swing, trapeze, yoga silk or punching bag.

Stay off the road today if you want to avoid the worst Memorial Day weekend traffic, according to INRIX forecasts.

Why it matters: AAA predicts this will be the busiest Memorial Day ever for travel — meaning your departure time could make or break your trip.

Zoom in: Sunday is a good driving day, per INRIX, a transportation data analytics company that works with AAA to calculate travel times.

By the numbers: AAA anticipates that more than 45 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more over Memorial Day weekend. That's 200,000 more than last year.

• The bulk of them — more than 39 million travelers — will be driving.

State of play: A holiday road trip will cost more at the gas pump this year, per AAA.

• Texas' average gas price yesterday around $4.09 per gallon — and it's $4.13 a gallon the Austin area. The state's average gas price was $2.79 a year ago.
• Last year, the national average price was $3.17 per gallon on Memorial Day.

What we're watching: Aggressive Monday-morning drivers.

• AAA and Cambridge Mobile Telematics clocked a 29% spike in Memorial Day speeding compared to other Mondays, with speeding peaking 7am–9am.

If you're flying, Austin airport officials predict today, Sunday and Monday to exceed over 30,000 departing passengers.

😔 The Pease Park troll, installed by Danish artist Thomas Dambo in 2024, has burned down. The cause of the fire is not yet known. (KUT)

✏️ Austin ISD has identified 147 areas near schools where walking conditions are considered unsafe for students. (KXAN)

🛒 H-E-B will close its Spicewood Springs store off Research Boulevard on July 31. (KVUE)

Don't be shy about showing off your smarts. Answer these three questions correctly and you could win the moment of your dreams — a shoutout in our Monday edition.

📬 Merely reply to this email.

1. Nico Estévez was fired as coach of what Austin team this week?
2. Did violent crime in Austin climb or decline in the first quarter of this year compared to the same period in 2025?
3. What was the most popular baby boy name in Texas last year, per newly released Social Security Administration information?

The first dual-branded The Container Store x Bed Bath & Beyond location opened this month in Fort Worth, our Axios Dallas colleague Naheed Rajwani reports.

• The collab concept will be rolled out at all Container Store locations this year — including Austin's store at Research Boulevard — amid a merger uniting the two home goods companies.

Naheed tells us it was a "nice, nostalgic visit to see branding I never thought I'd see in stores again."

🎟️ Check your drawers, because the stores will honor old Bed Bath coupons.

• The company is even running a contest to see who has the oldest coupon.

🏪 Bed Bath & Beyond president Amy Sullivan tells Axios: "We don't want people to think of this as a shop-in-shop."

• Instead, Sullivan says it's a "forever together, co-branded" concept.

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