Yesterday, my son and I had the opportunity to attend "Toddler Time" at the Blue Monkey located at 591 Hill Road North in Pickerington. The Blue Monkey has been open for over 3 months now, and in my humble opinion is an establishment that our area will definitely benefit from.
So what is the Blue Monkey? The Blue Monkey is a premier party and event center. It has two huge bounce houses, carnival games, a virtual game that kids play on the floor, karaoke, a green screen for fun pictures, and two large party rooms.
The Blue Monkey hosts a number of events which range from toddler time, family fun night, birthday parties, reunions, and soon they will be offering "parents night out" events.
So yesterday, my son and I attended Tuesday Toddler Time. Toddler Time is held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:30 am - 11:30 am. You are not obligated to come right at 9:30 and you can leave at anytime, so if you only wanted to come for an hour you can, or if you get there at 10 am, it's fine. I must say that from the moment we walked in, I was impressed. We were warmly greeted by a staff member and then another staff member greeted and helped my son with his coat and showed him where to put his shoes. For safety, all kids must wear socks and parents are also invited to join their kids in the bounce houses if they so desire.
During Toddler Time, children are allowed to go from whichever bounce house they would like, play the virtual game on the floor or play the carnival games for prizes. Between 10:45 and 11 am, the children are encourage to go into one of the party rooms where they learn and work on a craft that reflects the theme of the program that week. Once the kids complete their craft, they then return to free play until 11:30.
What did I think and what did I personally like about "Toddler Time"? First, I did like the hours and I did like flexibility of the hours. I also liked the flexibility of the program. As parents, we never know how our kids are going to act day to day and many times a program that requires a great deal of structure, does not work or causes more stress than necessary. I also really liked how parents are invited to join and play in the bounce houses with their kids. If you are not a bouncing parent, no worries. The Blue Monkey employs some of the most interactive and energetic teens that I have ever seen. The young man (Mark) who was running around and playing with the kids yesterday, was absolutely amazing. The kids loved him
How is the Blue Monkey priced? Toddler Time at the Blue Monkey is $7.00 for the first child and $5.00 for each additional child. The price is amazing considering that you are getting two full hours of play time, and there is plenty of seating so parents can see their children at all times.
I would highly recommend the Blue Monkey based on the price, the length of time for play, cleanliness , activities, and customer service. These are the businesses that we want in our community and these are the businesses that encompass family fun. Stepping away from electronics, and getting back to the basics of having fun together as a family.
For more information on the Blue Monkey and a list of upcoming events, please go to www.bluemonkeyfun.com. You can also call 614-828-8236 to book your upcoming events or birthday parties.
Checkout Lancaster OH Macaroni Kid FB page for additional pictures from Toddler Time!
