Parents with active toddlers are always looking for new indoor play areas for their little ones. With winter coming I was very happy to hear that a new BusyBees was opening close to my home.
BusyBees is a bright, open play space for children who are crawling up to 48 inches. Anyone who has seen big kids run slipshod over little kids will appreciate a play space dedicated just to the littles. BusyBees has activities for a range of abilities. The most fun feature of BusyBees by far are the two balloon areas. My son’s favorite part of our visit was going between the two areas where real balloons of various sizes are blown around. Kids can spend hours just trying to catch the balloons.
My son also enjoyed the large bouncy-area and climbing the rotating climbing structure. There is also a rotating teeter-totter and swings and other moving play structures. Everything is padded and soft in case of falls. Two areas are designed for non-walking babies, including an enclosed wave-themed area with some soft blocks and lots of padding and a large water cushion where I saw a couple of gleeful babies bouncing and crawling on. My two year old also liked these areas and was welcome to use them, but it was clear they were designed with babies in mind.
BusyBees also makes things easy on the parents! Parents can go on all of the equipment with their children with the exception of the bounce house. There are also many seats facing the play area where parents can sit and connect to WiFi while they watch their child play. There is also free coffee and tea for parents! BusyBees also provides a refrigerator in case you want to bring your own lunch or snacks. Snacks are also available for sale. I wouldn’t recommend bringing older/taller siblings since there is not anything for them to do.
We spent about two hours at BusyBees and definitely could have spent longer. BusyBees charges a daily admission so you can go in and out with your wristband for the entire day. Many families go to one of the nearby restaurants (Potomac Pizza is right next door) and come back for more play. BusyBees also has a location in Falls Church. I have not been to that location, but a staff member told me that the Chevy Chase location is larger.
Additional Information
- BusyBees is strictly limited by height. No one over 48 inches is admitted into the play space. An employee told me that they have turned away tall four year olds and admitted eight year olds who are on the shorter side. Older siblings over the 48” height limit are not allowed in the play area.
- Admission for one child is $18 and $15 for siblings. Children under one are admitted free of charge. There is no admission fee for parents. Passes are available for five admissions for $75 that can be split among multiple children. Admission is a bit steep, but keep in mind that it allows all-day play.
- There is indoor stroller parking available as well as open cubbies for storage.
- BusyBees is adjacent to the Friendship Heights metro on the Red Line. There is also metered parking and an attached parking lot.
- Socks are required for children and adults who will be playing. Socks are available for purchase if you forget yours.
- BusyBees has a party room and a variety of birthday party packages are available.
Photos courtesy of Jamie Davis Smith.
