There is nothing more frightening to the parents of an active kiddo then a weather forecast full of rain. Rather than be held hostage by the weather, we ventured out to Kids N Motion, an indoor play place in Woodbridge, VA.
When we arrived at Kids N Motion we were greeted by a staff member, paid our entrance fee (weekday open play is $6 for kids 3 and under, $9 for the older kids; parents/adults are free), and stowed our daughter’s shoes and coat in the provided cubbies and hooks.
Everyone who plays MUST wear socks; most of the adults in our group kept their shoes on until we entered the playroom. A staff member then went over the rules with everyone. We were reminded to wear socks at all times, to go one at a time up the slides, to take stuff out of our pockets, and she pointed out the number of people who could be on each inflatable at a time. Then we were let loose in room #1.
My 2 1/2 year old daughter couldn’t get going fast enough. Room #1 featured a large moonbounce, a huge slide (I went down the slides a few times too), and an obstacle course (which I hear has a slide inside it – we didn’t venture in!). In addition to the inflatables, room #1 also had a large wooden castle to play in, a cool airplane to climb on, a smaller climbing structure, a Step 2 rollercoaster, and several other fun toddler toys. After about 45 minutes, the staff member came back and rang a bell to tell us all to line up to play in room #2. Room #2 is even bigger and better.
It has a much larger moonbounce that is set up like a basketball court with hoops on both ends, a giant double slide, and an even bigger obstacle course (you could see the huge slide at the end of this one!). My daughter’s favorite in room #2 wasn’t an inflatable; it was the large wooden train to play on. Attached to room #2 is also a mat/tumbling room for the 4 and under set.
My daughter LOVED playing at Kids N Motion. Even though the slide seemed daunting at first, she was able to climb up it on her own and went down over and over and over again. The moonbouces were also a lot of fun – she loved jumping and running around with the other kids. And driving the wooden train was her favorite part of all. The best part for me was having a safe place to have fun with my daughter and the wonderfully long nap that followed after all that energy-expending-fun.
There are a few downsides to Kids N Motion. There seemed to be only one staff member working when we were there, so there is no staff supervision on the inflatables. For the most part parents did a great job of watching their kids and helping them to wait in line and follow the rules. It is also VERY loud in the play areas; great for those with noisy kids, but it might be tough for kids with sensory issues.
Additional Information
- There are two open play sessions every morning: 10 to 11:30am (6 and under only) and 10:45am to 12:15pm (ages 1 to 12). Afternoon open play from 1 to 2:30pm is on Tuesdays and Fridays and there is evening open play from 5:30 to 7pm on Mondays. Extra sessions are added on holidays/teacher workdays; check the website for times. Weekend open play times change weekly depending on their party schedule. The staff member I spoke with said that the early session (for little ones only) is usually more crowded than the 10:45am session and that Thursdays always seem to be their busiest day of the week.
- Socks are required at all times. For the little ones, I recommend wearing socks with the little grippers on the bottom to make climbing a little easier. Don’t forget socks for the grownups too.
- No food is allowed in the play areas. You can step out to the lobby to have a snack (note that the entire facility is peanut-free) and they have snacks and drinks available for purchase. Covered drinks/sippy cups are allowed in the play areas. There is also a wide variety of restaurants nearby for lunch after you play.
- Water fountains and bathrooms are plentiful and clean. There is a changing table only in one of the ladies’ rooms; my daughter liked that there were stepstools in the bathroom to help wash little hands.
- There is a weight limit of 220 pounds on the inflatables.
- In addition to open play, Kids N Motion offers Parents Night Out, Summer Camp and Spring Break Camp.
