indoor playground for small children

if you do not have young children or if your children are grown up, you may not be aware that such places exist. i first came to know of such facilities when i was in melbourne recently.

you would not step into such a place unless you have small kids to take care of. i was not aware that such a service was available in singapore until i was asked to accompany a grand nephew to fidgets at turf city. when my two girls were younger, we took them to ikea at sixth avenue, actus at sunset way and the macdonald's at serene house. (incidentally, actus at one time occupied the premises vacated by ikea at sixth avenue.) all these places had playroom with multi-coloured balls for toddlers to romp for free. nowadays, these indoor playgrounds are enjoying good business.

at fidgets, adults who accompany the children go in for free but the kids are charged $8 per entry for those who are below two years old and $15 for those between 2 and 10 years old. one accompany adult has to be there with the kid. the area set aside for 'little fidgets' has two small plastic cars and a small ball room.



for the bigger children, there is a bigger playing area in the form of an adventureland. still, sometimes adults have to climb in to rescue their little ones. the under 2s should be kept away from this area because the bigger ones tend to be rowdier. the area is carpetted and socks have to be worn at all times.

there is a cafe which serves drinks and snacks. however, the prices, to me, seem higher than those at starbucks - which i don't patronise anyway. you do not pay cash but instead use the same card issued to you upon entrance. the parents, especially the mothers, seem to find some respite while their little ones are playfully occupied.

if you go to this website, you can find a list of the indoor playgrounds distributed all over the island.