Mumbai for kids: A sports wonderland in Ghatkopar

Decathlon (Indoors), Ghatkopar
Whether you are a sportsperson or not, whether you or your kids love shopping or not, you cannot step into this sprawling space and not get absorbed for hours. Decathlon in Ghatkopar is one place my 10-year-old son begs to slip into if we ever go to that part of the world.

Imagine a whole floor with aisles of equipment. And more. In here are sections (they can be stores by themselves) with just about anything connected with sports - from water bottles to wristbands, eye gear and everything to do with outdoor, indoor and water sports.

My 12-year-old daughter is in a scooter-ride mood and heads in the direction of two-wheelers and rides along the aisle. Other kids, all wearing helmets, ride cycles of different sizes, while some have a jolly good time on skateboards and rollerblades. In the outdoor sections, a few kids crawl into tents while their parents try out foldable garden chairs.

Soon, I've lost track of my son, because my daughter and I have set up carom coins on a carrom board placed at standing height and are focussed on chasing the queen. When we finally finish the game, at least five people have gathered around us to watch. I have a feeling my son would be drooling at the racquet sports sections. But he is not. We find him hefting different cricket bats and striking shots in the air, in a wonderland of cricketing gear.

What's lovely about this drafty warehouse-looking place - with changing rooms that look like mobile, public lavatories - is not just the sheer volume of variety but also that you can wander here and be engaged for hours, without anyone breathing down your neck. Plus, there are ramps and elevators to access the store - making it disability as well as baby-friendly.