Our last visit to Kidzoona was in December 2015 and our first was on our son's birthday earlier that year. Instead of throwing parties and inviting people over we decided it's best to just take our kid to places of his interest on his birthdays. So here we are.
I had wanted to visit Kidzoona since I read about it online, from fellow mommy bloggers mostly. The only branch I knew of was in Robinson's Galleria, which is a bit far for us so we didn't plan on trying it out. That's until I found out of a branch in Solenad 3, Nuvali.
Solenad 3 was fairly new when we tried our first Kidzoona experience. The activity center and half of the buildings were already alive with stores. The other half, where the cinema and sports shops are now, were still under construction. Thankfully that day we were able to borrow a car so we had no trouble getting there.
REASONABLE PRICE!
Kidzoona made the list because the price and the play area seemed too "sulit" to ignore. If you've ever gotten your kid to stay in those jumping jamborees or play pens at malls they'll charge you from 180 to 250 php per hour. Unlimited play usually costs between 250 to 350, depends on the quality of the toys, how well-maintained and big the play ground is.
At Kidzoona, all of that is priced at 300 php for 90 minutes and 450 php for 3 hrs. I know what you're thinking; that's more expensive than your average play area and I know what you're thinking about the 3 hour price. First off the entrance fee at Kidzoona is good two: one guardian and one child. That means free play for the adult. Hooray!
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| grabbed from Aeon Fantasy Group's official site |
The one thing about Kidzoona that enticed me so much was the sea of balls. Yeah, I know how that sounds for grownups but for kids and kids at heart, it's just heaven. If you've ever wanted to dive and just disappear, this is the place for you. I thanked God that day that Kidzoona allowed parents inside with their kids. We had the most valid excuse to be in kid paradise.
It's not just the sea of balls, there's also lots of air-filled jamborees and a big, kid-proofed, slide that even we, adults, couldn't resist. It's every kid's dream and if you think you're little one is too hyper for an ordinary playground, he may find his match in this little paradise.
SLIDES and JUNGLE GYMS
Yes, there are more slides and more gyms to climb and conquer. And most of them are kid-safe and parent-friendly. See jumbo slide above. And if you're still worried there are bantays roaming the area to keep an eye on kids at this slide in particular.
It was fun to see that his climbing antics were satisfied that day. He could really climb anything at Kidzoona and crawl anywhere. It was a no-holds-barred day and I didn't feel the need to worry about him falling because, sea of balls....so sooooft.
KIDS' PROGRAM
In addition to that, there are programs on some days. That mat there in the picture below was in preparation for a coloring/drawing activity. There was also some singing and dancing, like a mini-playgroup. Kids age 5 to 11 can join. I don't think 12 year olds would be too interested in it anymore.
EDUCATIONAL TOYS
If you're worried and think that all Kidzoona can offer is gross motor activities, you'll be glad to know they have educational toys. Educational as in puzzles and build-its. They have legos, these magnetic thingies, and other similar toys for creativity.
Like this thing, I have no idea what this is called but our son enjoyed flipping the beads around thinking it's really going somewhere. We spent a lot of time on these creative toys when taking a break from the sea of balls.
Kidzoona knows enough what it wants for its kid visitors, and I want it too. Another positive take from visiting here, it's always in my best interest to let my kid learn through play. So yes, it is extra nice to know that's this business' goal to. And yes, putting it there for parents to see is so thoughtful.
PARENTS LOUNGE
Welcome to the Parents' lounge, where you will find parents of all shapes and sizes snoring in complete harmony. Don't be fooled, some parents are out and about playing with their kids, like me and my husband.
In fact, at some point, I lost my husband in the playground. I don't know if it was me who was having too much fun that I didn't notice where he was or if it's him having too much fun he completely disappeared for 30 minutes.
There is also a karaoke room, which after checking out, I never bothered looking into again. That's because this woman hogged it all throughout our stay at Kidzoona. She had her bags in there and her jacket all over the sofas. She was there for 3 whole hours! I wanted to kick her out but was too afraid she'd stick around and watch me sing. That would be too awkward.
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| Don't tell my husband I posted this. He'll think he's famous. |
3 HOURS of FUN! . . . ?
We thought that an hour and a half would be too short for an excited toddler in a really big place like Kidzoona. We figured he'd want to explore every corner and experience every little piece of toy he could find. He did, boy did he.
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| His favorite: This wooden train set. |
You'd think a kid would get used to all of this in about an hour or so, but 3 hours didn't feel like enough. At least that's what I saw in my son's eyes before we left. Even though he was tired enough he still kept looking over at EVERYTHING.
So yeah, in 3 hours our son set up a burger business. Put lettuce in the cashier box and charged me "Wanti-nine" pesos for it. And my tray wasn't even proper, I had buns and some tomatoes and lettuce but no patties, plate or tissue. This job is not for him.
iNext up he taught his dad to drive; how to maneuver when in a hurry and when to floor it (apparently always). This was actually a great father-son bonding time. I know dads will love it here, sea of balls alone drove me mad.
He also decided to be a fireman. Or you know, pretend to be one while hanging at the back of the truck, because to be honest, he's just to short to hang on to the water gun.
WHAT THE PARENTS DID
Since we paid extra parent 100 php and we ARE allowed inside, we decided to make the most of it. And even if it isn't allowed, we still would probably keep sneaking in to have fun.
The big air-filled mountain above is one of my favorite tambayans. There's a small hole in the middle with air pressure coming out. We kept putting a ball there to make it float magically. Oh and that's the spot where my husband decided to take on some kids and started a ball fight. See him at the side? Yeah....I brought two kids after all.
We literally left our son to himself, roaming around on his own, since the place is in complete lock-down and there are attendants in each area. This is my favorite play place, hahaha! Get inside and ask your companion to roll you silly. Had a headache after but it was totally worth it!
We also kept jumping here. I mean I did, like most of the time. Now that I think about it, we should have gotten several jumpshots because I bounced crazy high on this. We got the cylinder on here but the attendants asked us to put it back. Boooo! Probably because we aren't kids, hmp!
And this! Can't say anything more, just Classic!
KNOCKED OUT
We were prepared enough to bring a 1.5 liter bottle of water. Snacks are not allowed inside so we ate before going in. What we didn't prepare for was US; our hunger, our thirst, our boredom. After just an hour of running around and diving in the sea of balls my husband and I were already beat. Gahd I feel old. We found our own ways of resting every now and then.
We agreed taking turns going out and getting a breather from the playground. Mt hubby took his sweet time drinking coffee and i took my time peeing in the bathroom, washing my hands and window shopping. I never thought I'd get tired so easily.
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| Socks are required. For the sake of fun, we got colorful. |
By the end of the 3rd hour, our son had his fill of fun. So when we told him it was time to go... voila, he came with us without any complaints. And by the time we got downstairs he was asking me to carry him. In under 2 minutes he fell asleep in my arms.
