Review of Wkids Fun Center at Wegmans Dulles
August 17, 2009
by Mara Conners
Need a break from the kids this summer? Consider bringing them grocery shopping with you!
What is Wkids Fun Center at Wegmans?
The Dulles Wegmans Food Market has a childcare room called Wkids where you can drop off your children for a maximum of 1.5 hours while you get your shopping done. In the large room there are movies, video games, computer games, toys, play area with a kitchen, and a climbing structure. Oh…and it’s free!
How it works:
The OK Review team, mom and two boys (ages 4 & 6), showed up right at 10am when the Wkids Fun Center opened. Two attendants greeted them. Mom had to fill out a contact card and consent form for each child before dropping them off at the Fun Center. For security reasons the children and mom each received a wristband with matching identification numbers. Mom also received a pager to clip to her purse in case the Fun Center needed to contact her. Then mom was on her way for kid-free grocery shopping. She was secretly hoping there was a wine tasting or cooking class going on that she could attend. The thought also crossed her mind to call her closest friend and have her meet for coffee or lunch at the Wegmans Market Cafes, but decided to be productive and actually shop. After 45 minutes of shopping, mom returned to Wkids Fun Center to find her boys on the computers coloring pictures of Clifford the Big Red Dog. The attendant checked mom’s security wristband and called for the boys to come. The Fun Center was pretty busy by 10:45am on a Tuesday.
The Wkids Fun Center Rules:
- Parents must stay in the store.
- Children must be between the ages of 3 – 8 years old.
- Children must be fully potty trained (no pull-ups or training pants).
- No food, drinks or gum allowed.
- No personal items (toys, books, stuff animals, etc.).
- For space and safety reasons, no coats or jackets (parents must take with them).
- Shirt, shoes, pants must be wore and no swimming suited permitted.
- No sick kids including runny noses allowed.
What are additional highlights?
If you don’t want to use the Wkids Fun Center, Wegmans still makes the grocery shopping experience family/kid-friendly. They have marked parking for parents shopping with children near the store, right next to the handicapped parking spaces. They offer fun automobile shopping carts (for up to 2 kids) and bench shopping cards (accommodates up to 3 kids). There is a suspended model train that runs all along the grocery store ceiling for kids to spot and be entertained.
Any lowlights?
- Wkids Fun Center seems a little top heavy on video and gaming entertainment, so consider it carefully if that's not how you want your child spending his or her time.
- If you decide to shop with your kids, be warned, Wegmans seems to have a considerable amount of point-of-purchase items throughout the store to tempt kids along the way.
- Take your kids to the bathroom before having them enter the Wkids Fun Center. The attendants do not take your children to the bathroom. Instead, they will page you if your kids have to go.
- Shop early before the store gets really busy, otherwise the Wkids Fun Center could be filled up.
- Wkids Fun Center Hours: Monday to Saturday: 10am to 6pm; Sunday: 10am to 4pm.
Wegmans offers a safe, clean, kid-friendly environment for parents to drop their kids off and shop at leisure if they choose to.
Have you been to the Wkids Fun Center at Wegmans Dulles? What's your opinion? Just drop us a note and Our Kids will add your comments to this review.
