Small Business Saturday in Maryland was held on Nov. 26 and the day was dedicated to supporting small businesses on one of the busiest shopping weekends of the year after Black Friday.

One advantage of small businesses is that they usually place a high value on customer satisfaction, quality and trustworthiness. The Crofton area provides a great opportunity for parents to show support for small businesses.  

For parents, there are many options that are help support area small businesses.  Scott and Colleen Taggart, owners of Ledo Pizza at Eddie’s Place on Route 3, have worked together for more than 14 years.

“This has been a great situation," said Scott. "It is very easy and natural to work with Colleen. It is great living and working in the same community."

He added that one of the greatest benefits is that his wife has an incredible amount of flexibility during the summer when their two children are out of school.

“We feel very strongly about family and children, not just our children but all children," he said. "Our children have always gone to Crofton schools and that is part of the reason why we do so much fundraising events for the local schools."

It’s also a family affair at Rolly Pollies, located in the Crofton Commerce Center off of Route 3. As a new mother, Alison Meagher watched her toddler use her family room as a gymnasium and knew she had to do something. She enrolled him in a "Motor Skills Adventure" class at the Rolly Pollies in Severna Park. The movement-based class allows students to explore singing, dancing, games and activity stations.

“I had such a fantastic experience that I literally went home and told my husband, Doug, this is what I wanted to do: own this business,” said Meagher, who purchased the Severna Park Rolly Pollies in July 2007 and later opened a second location in Crofton.

"We knew Crofton was such a fantastic family-oriented area with a strong sense of community. We also knew that there wasn’t anything like Rolly Pollies already there,” said Meagher, who is a mother of four.

Xpress It is located in the Route Three Centre next to Ledo Pizza. It is a “paint your own pottery” studio that is for all ages. The studio is very kid friendly; the paint is non-toxic and even washes out of clothes, according to owner Jackie Cunningham, who is a Piney Orchard resident.

“The best part about visiting Xpress It is that we do the dirty work and the family gets to do the fun part,” she said. “We have a lot of new pottery in. This is the perfect gift for your child to give anyone in your family as a holiday gift.” 

She also said that Tween Night is the second Friday of every month for ages 9-13 and the cost is the price of the piece(s). There are no studio fees but they do charge a $5 cover charge that includes pizza and drinks from 6 to 9 p.m.

What are your favorite family friendly small businesses around Crofton-Gambrills?