Children love to play, and now that the winter weather is upon us it can be harder to find activities for them, that is why PlaywiseKids is a great option. It is an indoor play and activity center for children and adults in Columbia, MD just south of Baltimore, MD. It is located on Dobbin Road near Qdoba, and not far from I-95 , Route 100, and Route 32. The center has plenty of activities for you and your child to participate in, a cafe that serves food, and even has memberships if you decide you want to return on a regular basis. You don’t have to be a member though, as they have drop-in activities during their operating hours.
Operating Hours
The center is open year round for drop-in play on Saturdays from 9:30am until 7:00pm and on Sundays from 11:30 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. During the summer when school is out or on school holidays it is open 9:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.
Children’s Play Activities
PlaywiseKids has a large assortment of activities to keep your children entertained. Most of these activities are designed for children under 10 years of age, but even older children with younger siblings might enjoy them as well. There are areas for children to pretend, participate in athletic activities, and arts and crafts areas.
Children have plenty of oppportunities to express their imagination at PlaywiseKids. My son loves to climb up in the fire truck and dress up like a fireman with the other children. He also enjoys the medical area where there is an actual ambulance for the kids to play in, and they can dress up as if they are doctors. There is even a skeleton the children can put together. Other areas that allow them to express their imagination are the dress-up areas and the grocery store. In the dress-up area they can dress-up in a large variety of costumes and outfits. In the grocery store they have the kids can pretend they are shopping for groceries at PlaywiseKids.
If your kids want something more active there are areas for them to dance on a dance floor, or they can play on oversized slides and inflatable climbing toys in the inside playground area. My son loves the slides and being able to fall down and not get hurt. There is also a game room which has table games and arcade type games for some of the older children to play with. As a parent of a two year old I can’t wait until my son is old enough to play these games with me in there.
One other activity my son likes is the arts & crafts room where he can make he own “artwork”. Supplies are provided there, you don’t need to bring anything with you. Your child can even take their artwork home to share with family and friends.
My son’s favorite activity is probably the large block room. These are very large foam blocks and tinker toys that kids can play with and build. He has loved his blocks at home, but now he can play with ones much larger and it is one of the first rooms he goes to.
Cost
The cost for PlaywiseKids is very reasonable. It is just $9.95 for a full day for children from 2 years old to 10 years old. They can even get stamped and come back later in the day after they leave without paying another entry fee! For children ages 12 months to 23 months it is slightly cheaper at $6.95 per day. There are activities that children under 12 months old will enjoy too, and it is actually free for anyone under 12 months. Keep in mind your child must be supervised by an adult during drop-in play and it is $4 for adults to get in for the day.
For those of you that want your child to attend the drop-in sessions regularly there are six month and yearly memberships available for reasonable prices. Check out their website for more details on the cost. Also for any children that go to school in the Columbia area, PlaywiseKids is working on setting up before and after school care with transportation to certain schools. This program is not set up yet, but if you are interested you should inquire about it at the PlayWiseKids center when you are there.
A Great Indoor Activity
So, if you are looking for an activity to do with your child during these colder months of the year when outdoor play isn’t an option, PlaywiseKids is a great choice. During the summer it is nice as well, when it is too hot to play outside. While it is not cheap, the fact that you can leave and come back as often as you want for one cost for the day is a great benefit. Keep in mind though, drop-in play requires that at least one adult enter with every five children. PlaywiseKids also offers group events and birthday parties as well, inquire at the center or call them if you are interested.
