Kidz Town (Outdoors), Juhu
If you are the rugged type, the outdoors is always welcoming. The heat that Mumbai is experiencing is the wilting kind and I have no courage to explore the outdoors or do anything outdoorsy in the daytime, for sure.
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The heat seems so merciless that even travelling anywhere beyond 5 km with kids seems a daunting task. I find myself looking to review children's spaces nearby. Which is why, in the middle of this week, I head for Kidz Town, an indoor play space at Juhu.
The space is compact. There is, of course, the ball pool with its riot of colourful balls. In such a neat space, who would have thought there would be a trampoline? But there is. The walls are perfect for kids who like to touch and feel textures. There are rocking horses (in duck shapes) to oscillate on, a purple iggy worm to crawl inside, games on wall to potter with and strengthen your fine motor skills, padded steps to purposefully stomp through, slides of different sizes to zip down and a tiny swing, so be sure that your baby will be totally safe.
There is also a mechanised merry-go-round and the best — a plastic, surging pathway to peddle furiously through and ride. There are picket fences that cordon the space and one parent is allowed to accompany the kids (both need to be wearing socks) and of course tightly-packed, padded flooring. This regular, soft-play-area also has ball-shooting to have fun shooting matches and mazes to crawl through. Keeping in mind that kiddie areas are potential spaces to host birthday parties, there is a party area with adult as well as kiddie chairs. There is an in-house cafeteria pantry that can make assorted kiddie-treats, too.
It has almost everything most indoor play spaces across the city have. So what makes it special? Actually nothing. Having said that, I also need to share that if you are a Juhu/Vile Parle resident and have a toddler you don't take to the park simply because it is too hot, and you still want the munchkin to jump around and play and get their dose of tumbling, crawling, jumping, whizzing around at reasonable rates, this is the place. It has all the typical play props to keep your child totally engaged; it has the bandwidth to hold a birthday party. The staff is engaged and committed (and that is not something one finds everywhere) and it is competitively priced.
Fact File
Where: Ground floor Modi House, Fun Republic Lane, opposite Barbeque Nation, Andheri West.
Best for: Boys and girls six months to 10 years of age
How to reach: Alight at Vile Parle West station and take an auto to Kidz Town
Timings: 11 am to 8 pm (daily)
Budget: Rs 250 per hour (Monday to Thursday); Rs 350 per hour (Friday to Sunday)
Food: Available to buy in-house (parents of infants and toddlers can bring their home-cooked food)
Water: Available
Rest Room facilities: Yes
Where else to go: Cycling park (older kids) and Juhu beach
Parent Poll: Compact space for indoor play; VFM
Rating: 
Kids' Poll: Love the ball shooting and bicycle ride
Rating: 
What's Good: Plenty to choose from. Staff is hands-on and efficient
What's Not So Good: No wow factor
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