08 June,2019 08:00 AM IST | | Vinitha
The entire fifth floor of CosmÂos building in Vile Parle has been converted into a soft play space for kids. I've become apathetic towards indoor playsplaces, and now, it will take something more to make me sit up and notice. Baccha Party is huge. I am here to review it one hot afternoon with a friend and her four-year-old daughter. That there are places that continue to surprise me⦠surprises me, again.
Baccha Party is divided into three areas - the indoor soft play space, the outdoorsy-indoor space and the party zone-cum-cafeteria. Meant clearly for young kids (two years to 10 years) it has the suburban slant of sparring-no-expense. The trampoline area is made up of four large trampolines. Then, there are slides that dip into a ball pool. There is another ball pool room and this one, is interactive. Every time a child throws balls at the wall, it responds.
There are bridges and transparent tunnels and hollowed out worms to crawl through. Mazes lead to bumpy pathways and soft walls for you to scale. The zip line is marvellous, and kiddos who discover it simply can't stop zipping and bouncing down.
The last bit is the outdoorsy-indoors with its playhouse, toy trees, giant toy cars to ride and a sand pit made of synthetic sand. Nothing can replace naÂture - climbing trees, roÂlling on the grass, siÂtting on a beach or making sand castles. But it is really hot, and all this may not be the best thing to do except around sunrise/sunset. Which is why I wistfully sigh and watch kids frolic in the fake outdoors. Toddlers driving toy cars, weaving in and out of giant trees and using spades to fill buckets with synthetic sand and rolling in fake grass⦠whatever works, no?
Spread over 4,000 sq ft, the venue's every wall is put to use. We love that the ceiling liÂghts are fluffy clouds and the brick waÂlls, bumpy soft. There is plenty of uniformed staff. And, an in-house stÂore with clothes and accessories for kiÂds. Plus, the entire place is geared for birthday parties with a special range of combos that include meal plans, party themes and entertainment. My friend promises that her four-year-old will not want to stay for more than a hour. And 90 minutes later, we have to bribe her out.
Fact file
Where: Baccha Party, fifth floor, Cosmos Apartments, SV Road, above Millenium Toyota, Indira Nagar, Vile Parle West. (Also at Powai and Malad).
Best for: Boys and girls, 2 years to 10 years of age.
How to reach: Take an auto from Vile Parle Railway Station (West).
Timings: All week, 11 am to 8 pm
Budget: Monday to Thursday, '550 per head for 90 mins of play time with 2 accompanying adults ('150 for every additional hour), '650 per head, per 90 mins for weekends Food: Yes. In-house cafeteria with a range of food and beverages.
Water: Yes, but better to carry.
Rest Room facilities: Yes. Clean.
Where else to go: There's Jumpp close to Vile Parle (W) station; also Juhu beach, Funky Monkey at Andheri West and for older kids, there's Clawplay.
Parent Poll: Big place, lots of
fun and engaging things to do for young kids. Rating:
Kids' Poll: Loved the zip line. Didn't want to leave
Rating:
What's Good: Lots of hands-on staff; huge space for young kids, plenty to do so kids will never get bored. Well designed, even the walls are padded.
What's Not So Good: Synthetic sand; it is narrow, peppercorn size
and may tempt kids to poke into the ears and nose. Parental supervision is mandatory.
Safety tip:
While there is dedicated staff (and plenty of cameras) parents need to be around to watch the kids at the synthetic sand pit area.
Send your feedback to mumbaiforkids@mid-day.com
Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates
