Space isn't an issue

Purple Panda is unmissable; if you are passing by Tardeo, that is. Every time I was around that neighbourhood, I told myself that one of these days, I would stop by and see what it had to offer. A few weeks ago, I did, and came out pleasantly surprised.

Put together a ball pool, slides, trampoline park, an indoor cafe, crawl paths, padded flooring and you've just about summed up any indoor play space.

Purple Panda is just that. But it also is a 3,000-sq ft area that's been designed keeping in mind that children need space, light and colour. There are indoor slides, but unlike the smaller ones in other places, these are 13-feet high. The trampoline park is a park, not one with a solitary trampoline top to bob up and down on, but several of them where a child can jump and shoot balls down baskets from. There is also a path that lights up as you walk; an extravagant international play console; a magnetic wall that you can get stuck to; a giant Lego fence to build and create a mini Legoland of sorts; and a piano key floor that, you guessed it, plays music when a child walks on it.

This space has been built to make you feel good as soon as you walk in, whether you are a parent or a child. I loved the fact that there was a large staff who stayed cheerful and alert all through the hour we spent there.

Whether you accompany your child in the maze they want to spend in, or not, there is a staffer who is certainly keeping an eye. You are politely asked to wear a pair of socks in the play area and if your pre-teen ventures into a toddler zone, they are gently escorted back.

There are levels of play, a whole range of fun activities to engage in, no matter which age bracket your child belongs to and there is also enough to do if he or she happens to be the sedentary type.

But most of all, it was built to be a go-to place for a kiddie party. The in-house cafeteria caters to the needs of children and adults, and is also totally geared for a range of party options; there are themes for you to choose from for a birthday party and anything you have thought of, they have certainly thought of before.

I've been to many indoor play spaces, and can safely say that this one is a delight.

Fact file

Where: Famous Cine Labs, second floor, Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya Marg.
Best for: Boys and girls, three to 13 years old.
How to reach: Hail a taxi from Mumbai Central railway station.
Timings: Monday to Sunday, 11 am to 8 pm
Budget: R500 per hour per child (Monday to Thursday); R600 (Friday to Sunday). One adult can accompany one child for free.
Food: In-house cafeteria.
Water: Available
Rest Room facilities: Available
Where else to go: You can head to the Tarporevala Aquarium or Nehru Science Centre, depending on the age range of the kids with you.

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