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Adventures Out

Indoor Playspaces

Kids have so much energy that you can’t keep them inside your home all the time. But when the weather isn't cooperating, you need to find new walls to climb. There are a lot of indoor playspaces in Eastern Massachusetts, but many of them primarily focus on birthday parties. We highlight four favorites in the area that have open hours all the time, including the weekends. Just bring your socks (they’re required!) and spend an hour or all day at these fun picks. All four offer food and drinks onsite.

In Motion

Located in an old mill building, Perpetual Motion in Lowell features two distinct play spaces divided by picnic tables in 18,000 square feet. The train dominates the area dedicated to children ages six and under. It contains a ball pit, slides, tunnels, and a play kitchen in the caboose. Besides that, there’s a full swing set, a huge sandbox with toys, building blocks, and dress up. School-age kids can challenge themselves with an obstacle course (tire tunnels, rings, cargo nets, floating bridge) and a climbing wall. There’s also a huge foam block pit, slides, swings, and a basketball hoop. To use the big kids’ area, children must be age 5 and at least 42 inches tall.

Filled with Imagination

Also in an old mill building, the 12,000-square-foot ImajineThat in Lawrence offers eight Imagination Stations, including a grocery store, a stuffed animal hospital, a dinosaur climbing structure, a craft room, a bouncy room, and a soft-play area for infants. Daily activities and performances are scheduled throughout the day, such as craft-making workshops, Between the Lions story time, Peep and the Big Wide World science projects, building workshops, music classes, and other hands-on learning activities.

Monkeying Around

Part of a national chain, the 12,000-square-foot Monkey Joe’s in Danvers is filled with blow-up jumps and slides and an obstacle course appropriate for ages 2 to 12. The enclosed toddler area offers smaller things to climb on, with a parent seating area within easy reach. Monkey Joe’s uses a Safety Access Child Control System, so adults can relax in the parents’ area, either reading, watching TV, or using the free Internet computer stations.

Island Life

Set up like a tropical village, the 5,000-square-foot Imagination Island in Plymouth features a play market and café, a dress-up shop, a fire station, a school, an animal hospital, and kid-powered cars to get from one place to another. On the other side of the island, kids can find buried treasure in the pirate’s cove. The 14-foot-high soft climbing structure offers a good lookout point, and the palm tree moon bounce is perfect when the natives are restless.

(BPP, 2/09)

Side Streets

Before your next night on the town, visit Restaurant.com for big savings at local eateries. 

 Bypass theater ticket lines. Buy movie tickets in advance at Fandango.com. Read reviews and find showtimes for any movie in the U.S.

© 2003-2009 Robin C. Mason, WordsWorth2
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