With the long summer school break finally here, Hong Kong’s indoor playrooms are a sure-fire way to stay sane and keep your kids entertained come rain or shine. Until they insist that you get in on the action, rest up while your little ’uns bounce, crawl, run and slide the day away at these super-fun indoor playgrounds.
Wise Kids
This 8,000 square foot playroom in The Arcade, Cyberport, is the place to get your kids’ creative juices flowing. With nine different play areas to choose from, children can enjoy role-play, dress up, arts and crafts, family games, loads of toys, a super cool multi-sensory room and a dedicated baby zone. Towards the end of a 90-minute play session, kids participate in organised activities such as music and movement, story reading or snack time, led by their fun and friendly staff.
As Wise Kids playroom changes themes every month, there’s always something new and exciting for kids to look forward to. Just remember to check their schedule online and book your preferred time slot in advance. After the session, head to Delaney’s restaurant for a delish family-friendly meal, the park for a game of footie, engage in retail therapy or sit back and enjoy a kiddie movie at the cinema, all just a stone’s throw away from Wise Kids.
Age: 8 and under
Location: Shop 201, The Arcade, 100 Cyberport Road, Cyberport, Pokfulam
FunZone
Kick off your sneakers, curl up on the sofa, browse through the latest celebrity goss and enjoy a steaming hot cup of java. Uninterrupted. This stalwart indoor playroom has your mama needs sorted.
Boasting 10,000 square feet of munchkin madness, your kids won’t look back once you’ve let them loose at FunZone in Kennedy Town. While tiny tykes under three enjoy safe yet exhilarating play in a dedicated toddler area, older kids can go wild hurtling down slides, through tubes and tunnels, along balancing beams and in the ballistic air ball zone. You can also sign them up for sports, music, language, and dance classes. Simply pay for the class (book in advance) and students can stay and play for free all day long.
If Kennedy Town isn’t convenient for you, FunZone has smaller venues in North Point and Ma On Shan, each packing a mighty punch in the playground arena.
Age: 12 and under
Location: Shop 121-123, Podium Level 1, The Westwood, 8 Belcher’s Street, Kennedy Town
Web: www.funzone.com.hk.
Epic Land
Check out this mean beast! At 14,000 square feet, Epic Land is Hong Kong’s hugest indoor playground and home to Asia’s largest indoor slides. This playroom will keep kids and adults engaged for days on end. From an air trek obstacle course that stands 10m high overlooking the whole arena, to rock climbing for all ages, laser tag, trampolines, mini golf, ballistics area, multi-purpose sports room, iClick educational interactive activities and a dedicated toddler zone, to name but a few, EpicLand is a thrill-seeker’s paradise. Kids can also join sports, music and dance classes.
Age: All ages
Location: Ground Floor, 31 North Plaza, Family Recreation Ctr., 96 Siena Avenue, Discovery Bay North, Lantau
Web: www.epiclandhk.com
Baumhaus
Everything about this 2,700 square foot playroom and early development centre screams quality. From its beautifully designed tree house and child-friendly furnishings to its colourful coffee lounge that offers handcrafted coffee, teas and healthy treats, Baumhaus is the perfect haven for a family-focused afternoon. While your little cuties unleash their creativity, you can relax at the lounge or enjoy a spot of shopping at Baumhaus’ retail zone.
Headed up by Crisel Consunji, an experienced Kindermusik teacher with the voice of an angel, Baumhaus is also home to regularly scheduled music and sensory classes.
Age: 7 and under
Location: Kar Yau Building, 34-38 Queen’s Road East, Wanchai
Web: www.baumhaus.com.hk
Playhouse
A treasure world in Hung Hom, a role-play academy in Yau Tong, a sky city in North Point, a jungle in Sheng Shui and an ocean in Yuen Long: these five indoor playgrounds, each with their own unique theme, are the creative brainchildren of indoor playground expert, Playhouse.
Cleverly designed for the ultimate kiddie fun experience, each playground is divided into a variety of areas with a focus on sport, games and family entertainment. The sky-city themed playground in North Point, for example, has 11 play sections including children’s gymnasium, mega blocks zone, sky city maze, car racing zone and children’s library. These playgrounds are guaranteed to keep your kids entertained for hours on end.
For further details on each playroom, including age restrictions and location, visit www.playhouse.com.hk
Ryze
Who cares what the weatherman says if you can jump the day away? Ryze indoor trampoline park takes exhilaration to an all-new extreme. Forget the kids, there’s no way you’ll want to sit out on the action. Go jumping-crazy across 7,000 square metres of over 40 connected trampolines, including wall trampolines and launching decks. For some sky-high action, try the trapeze and aerial silks suspended above massive foam pits. If you prefer not to have your little ones jumping around super-sized kids, Monday-Friday from 9-10 am is exclusively reserved for bubbas aged six and under.
Age: Age restrictions apply at certain times during the day. Check out the schedule online and buy tickets in advance to avoid disappointment at the door.
Location: 3/F, Kodak House 1, 321 Java Road, Quarry Bay
Web: www.ryzehongkong.com
BOUNCE
On the other side of the harbour, there’s BOUNCE – a whopping 80 interconnected trampolines across approximately 2,200 square metres of bounce bliss. Kids, large and small, can bounce freestyle or sign up for a range of adrenalin-charged classes, including miniBounce for small bouncers aged 3-5; Bounce Tramp Camp, a supervised summer programme for kids aged 6-9 and 9-12; and tailored, fun sessions for children with special needs. For all sessions, it is best to book in advance.
If you fancy a break from the bounce-fest, head to the BOUNCE tuckshop by Classified for coffee, healthy bites and an awesome elevated view of the entire trampoline park.
Age: 3 years or older (plus a weight limit of 120kg)
Location: G/F EMAX, KITEC, No.1 Trademart Drive, Kowloon Bay
Web: www.bounceinc.com.hk
The Children’s Playroom
Scattered across Hong Kong are a variety of fun, free indoor playgrounds sponsored by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. Ranging from 650 to 3,500 square feet, The Children’s Playroom facilities cater for kids aged nine and under. While some of the playgrounds are basic, cute and colourful padded rooms, others have slides, tubes, tunnels and climbing frames for kids to enjoy. A cheap and cheerful option for little cherubs on a hot or rainy day.
For further information, including age restrictions and locations, visit http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/facilities/facilitieslist/children/playroom.html
