Review on Indoor Playgrounds/Play gyms in KL

This was featured in TheStar Online 

http://www.thestar.com.my/Lifestyle/Family/Features/2013/07/29/Which-indoor-playground-to-visit.aspx

  

Most of the children head straight to the Cassia seed pit when they get to Kid’z Paradise

My daughter is almost two years old. I am still struggling to keep up with her amazing level of energy and her dedicated attention to playing.

It has been quite a task to keep her physically occupied. Considering the gloomy weather we have been experiencing lately, I am grateful for the existence of indoor playgrounds. Another good point to note is that they are available in most major shopping malls.

Check out these three indoor playgrounds that I took my daughter to for some play away from home:

Kid’z Paradise

Expanding from its three branches in China, this indoor playground is now available at The Mines in Seri Kembangan, Selangor. It is located on the 4th floor where most of the children-related shops are.

The first thing that caught my eye at the entrance of Kid’z Paradise is the “sandpit” at the front. It may look like a sandpit but it's not. The “sand” is actually cassia seeds from the Cassia Obtusifolia plant. Some studies claim that these dried ripe seeds have medicinal properties. They are popular in China but not as well known in Malaysia.

To me, these seeds look and feel a bit like brown rice. They are smooth to the touch but not as fine as sand. It is great fun to play in and Kid’z Paradise knows it.

In the Cassia seed pit, Kid’z Paradise has placed a number of fun sand wheels and toys for kids to play with. The pit is definitely the main attraction of this playground. If you are early, let your children play in the pit first as it quickly fills up as the day progresses. Most kids make a beeline to the Cassia seed pit as they come in.

It is easy to flick the seeds off once you are done with the pit; you might still find a few seeds on your child's clothing though. Still, the other areas are relatively seed-free as the employees are constantly vacuuming.

The slide and ball pool in Kid’z Paradise.

Kid’z Paradise offers the usual slides and ball pool but maintains its competitiveness with its special toys-in-motion feature and even a trampoline. The mechanical toy structures are all well padded and move at a fairly slow pace. Younger and older kids can play with them quite safely. There are also mobile toy vehicles for children to ride on.

For a quick break from physical play, you can purchase rubber art cards for your children for an arts and crafts session. These cards come with a variety of cartoons and there are several colours available.

Apart from the playground itself, Kid’s Paradize also provides shoe racks, lockers and a space right next to the entrance that allows you to “park” your strollers.

There is even a baby room with sink, baby changing compartment, two small beds for resting and free hot water. As with most big indoor playgrounds around, Kid'z Paradise also provides free WiFi for customers.

Kid’z Paradise has a big enough space to have a reserved area to cater to birthday parties. It offers two packages – one for up to 10 kids and the other for up to 20 kids. Both packages include a day's admission to the playground.

The admission fee to Kid’z Paradise is RM25 on weekdays and RM38 on weekends, school holidays and public holidays. It has a drop-and-shop service which is charged by the hour.

Pros: Cassia seed pit that is less messy than sand play.

Cons: Only one outlet; tends to get crowded during peak periods.

KizSports & Gym

KizSports & Gym offers playlands, party packages, and physical and music programmes. It has four outlets located in malls in Kuala Lumpur and Subang.

All the playlands are impressive with the signature playland located at the Empire Shopping Gallery. The playland structure boasts a big multilevel maze filled with obstacle courses. There is a variety of slides, scramble net, tunnels and a ball pool.

The structure is relatively safe as it is mainly padded and netted all around. Children simply love the challenges posed in this playland. There are different nooks and corners that keep it exciting. From my observation, most parents seem to have a difficult time trying to coax their kids out of the play structure. So be warned.

KizSports & Gym caters to the younger ones by providing easier play equipment. These are in a separate area which they have filled with plastic playhouses, slides and a ball pool.

One of the slides at the KizSports & Gym playland.

For outlets at Bangsar Village and Empire Shopping Gallery, toilets are provided within KizSports. However, the toilets at Empire are restricted to kids. Adults will need to use the public toilets outside.

The admission fee to KizSports & Gym is RM28 on weekdays and RM38 on weekends, school holidays and public holidays.

You can also sign up for its membership for discounted entry prices. It also provides the drop-and-shop service but only for kids above three years old. WiFi is available here.

KizSports & Gym is not just an indoor playground as it also offers various programmes for children from one to 13 years of age. Depending on the age, you can enrol your kid for learning, physical or enrichment classes. The enrichment programmes include ballet, speech and drama, easy Mandarin, taekwondo and Kindermusik.

I am quite surprised that these children’s programmes are accepting kids at a younger age now. The Little Crawlers (under the fitness programme) accepts any child as long as they are already crawling. The Kindermusik programme accepts newborns! All these programmes are, of course, designed to help nurture and develop certain skills. The added bonus is that they all look like fun as they are designed for kids.

KizSports & Gym also offers birthday packages which include thematic parties. However, the minimum number of children for the parties is 15.

Pros: Impressive indoor playground which also provides specific children’s programmes.

Cons: Tends to get quite crowded on the weekends and parties and classes can get a bit noisy.

Capcom Station Family Indoor Theme Park / Kid's Playland

If you have older kids to entertain, Capcom Station is the place to go. It is located in malls situated in different states around Malaysia. You can visit its Family Theme Park or Kid’s Playland.

I brought my daughter to the kid’s playland located on Level 2 of the Setia City Mall, Shah Alam. The place was filled with a variety of kiddie rides you would normally find in a mall, plus more!

There is a jungle-themed playland area which is gated as it only allows entry to children up to 12 years of age. Parents of kids aged four and below are encouraged to monitor their kids from outside the playland.

There are the usual slides into a ball pool and an inflatable structure for bouncing. The offerings in the playland seem a bit limited. But, it is good enough if you have younger children and want them to run around on padded flooring and a relatively child-safe play area.

The main attraction of Capcom Station is its rides and arcade games.

The main attraction of Capcom Station is definitely its rides and arcade games. It is similar to being in an indoor fun fair. There is a machine which lets you grab as many sweets as possible. You can play drums or even have a game of hoops.

Capcom Station works on a prepaid card. You just need to purchase a card to tap for the rides, games and even the entry to playland. Playland costs RM10 to enter. The games and rides vary in prices.

Pros: Caters to older children.

Cons: Adults cannot accompany the kids in the playland.

Conclusion

Indoor playgrounds or children’s playgyms are the perfect places for kids to work out.

Most of these establishments offer VIP member cards. For frequent visitors, I would recommend the card. Some memberships even allow free entrance or cheaper fee into their other branches.

For new parents, bear in mind that the most important apparel you must have at all times are socks. All indoor playgrounds require both children and accompanying adults to wear them. Just pack them into the baby bag. Fortunately, they are light. Socks aside, do try to dress your children appropriately for climbing, jumping and sliding.

Remember to take that extra precaution to ensure your children wash (or even sterilise) their hands after playing with the equipment.

With indoor playgrounds mushrooming everywhere and getting competitive with each offering better play equipment, the kids usually have a blast. But as a parent, I am sure not complaining.