We usually head straight for the beach whenever we are in the East Coast Park but the weather has been scorching hot recently I was very glad to discover this air-conditioned indoor play area
Kaboodle Kids to let the kids run loose!
Started by a mumpreneur Jin who believes strongly in the benefits of creative free play for children,
Kaboodle Kids is a very unique indoor play area unlike any we have seen before. There is no fancy gym equipment or obstacle course or three feet high slides but instead all it contains are these giant blue foam blocks (or rather, Imagination Playground blocks) that come in all sorts of shapes and sizes.
Children are encouraged to play with these blocks any way they wish - they can build things or make up stories and games, or just enjoy shapes, colors, and texture.
Interestingly, my three boys played with the blocks quite differently. Sean was really into building things - he made funky hats, robots, slides, flowers, octopuses and other unidentified objects. The blocks are sturdy so can hold up in structures very well, yet weightless enough to not cause any hurt when they collapse. Mr OCD Ryan went round collecting all the round discs and balls and stacked them up nicely - I believe he got every last one in the entire room! Jo was happy just chasing after his brothers, skating around in his socks and clambering over the structures. Even adults could join in on the fun!
I thought the friendly 'Play Associates' were very good at spurring the children to play with the blocks in new ways. They taught the kids how to use the blocks to build slide ramps, see-saws, a motorcycle and even a fort big enough to house all of them!
I loved that it was largely unstructured, child-directed free play - the kind of play that experts say is critical to a child's intellectual, social, physical, and emotional development.
My boys had so much fun playing the whole two hours we were there and I am very sure they would have been more than happy to stay for much longer if it were not closing time!
I think the place is great for the scorching hot afternoons we have been having. You can enjoy unlimited free play on weekdays. If you are dropping by
Kaboodle Kids, don't forget your socks and maybe a jacket (as the air-conditioning can get quite cold) and quote 'Olimomok' for a 10% discount off admission fees. Valid till the end of June 2015.
Kaboodle Kids902 East Coast Parkway (Big Splash), Block B, #02-05B
Singapore 449874
Tel: 6247 7020
Operating hours: 10am - 6pm daily
FB: KaboodlekidsSingapore
Disclaimer: We were invited for a play session for the purpose of writing this review. All opinions are, as always, honest and my own.