Have you heard?
The ultimate play park has opened at the V & A waterfront.
A modern day matrix of activities for kids of all ages to explore , including the ever popular Hint Hunt challenges.
We were given a complimentary all day pass at the Cape Town Mom’s who Blog event and as I’d been following their launch and development, I was keen to take bear to explore.
We chose last Friday as our adventure day and off we went.
Located in the Watershed, the play park was easy to find and attractive, bright paintings pointed us to where we wanted to be.
Polite, friendly staff were on hand to assist and guide us through.
The first thing I noted was how clean and spacious the area was. Hand sanitizer attached to the wall meant the assistants could wash their hands at anytime without leaving the kids alone.
Secondly I was impressed at how secure the entry and exit are. Levers located much too high for little fingers let you in and out. Best of all the entrance and exits are wide enough to take your pram through.
Sunlight streamed through the windows adorned with the same cartoon characters from the front wall.
This gave the illusion of being outside , especially in the toddler area which is padded with fake grass to break those wobbly toddler tumbles.
Tables were along the walls and instead of seats they were accompanied by swings on eithers side.
Above us was a large wooden maze for older kids to conquer. Along the maze is a foofy slide and you could hear the whir of the slide as the older kids tested their skills.
All of it looked magical and exciting. You get the feel of falling through Alice’s rabbit hole into a wonderland designed for kids to play and it’s hard to choose what to do first with the many activities available.
Aside from the maze, the foofy slide and hint hunt, there is a large wooden slide, mini golf and other arcade like games.
Mom’s and dad’s can enjoy a delicious selection of the freshest treats from the kitchen with a hot coffee or a colourful slushie as they relax in a comfortable seating area.
But it was the toddler area that I was most eager to see.
A lot of places have fantastic play areas for kids but forget that often the child has a baby brother or sister that would also love to play.
Nestled at the back of the giant hall was the designated toddler area.
Set up to resemble a small town it has the cutest signs and little wooden houses awaiting the teeny tots to come and play.
Bear couldn’t wait to start playing and was attracted to the wooden motorbike on a spring that rocked. All the areas were smooth so there were no splinters and one of the helpful assistants was around to put him on and off the bike.
Next to the bike is the cutest little petrol pump. I loved watching how bear filled up his motorbike using the pump. It was just too adorable.
Imagination play is important for toddlers as this is how they process the world around them.
He also loved the wheel toy and spent quite a while pushing it around with a vroom vroom sound.
What is so great is that they have a special space to hang on the wall and the assistants are quick to pick them up so no toddler trips over the discarded wheels.
There is a cute little mini maze with a sensory delight of activities in the centre to keep little fingers busy. From hanging ropes, tennis balls on a string, plastic link chains and pool noodles.
Bear was a bit weary in the begining but was soon whizzing through it like a pro.
The outside of the maze is a climbing frame with a newly constructed slide. We all know how much toddlers like to climb up and down things. This is the perfect height and the soft fake grass will break the fall of any tumbles.
Again I noted the smooth finishings and solid structure. As a mom I know my dare devil will climb anything but I like to know its safe.
My favourite were the little houses that looked like they came from the pages of Noddys toyland.
A pink and a blue. The pink one even has little window boxes and a railing.
Inside each is an activity board to keep those little bodies busy.
Another awesome feature at the play park are the huge Lego blocks. I’ve no idea where they got these but I’d love a set at home.
I sat imagining a challenge between my teens who could build a certain items faster than it took my hour glass to turn.
The block was almost as big as bear .
He’s currently Lego crazy and these light weight blocks are a nice alternative to a messy Lego table.
There really was alot for him to do.
I thought we would be there for a maximum of maybe 30 minutes as I was sure bear would loose interest after that. His attention span is fleeting as are most toddlers.
So i was most suprised when we actually spent 3 hours playing and making new friends.
Bear even got a game of golf in .
This is certainly a place we will visit more frequently and I was excited to see they offered birthday party options aswell.
