During these winter months, you may find yourself desperately wanting to get out of the house with your kids, but a cold trip to a blustery playground may not be on your list. Luckily, the Delaware Valley has an abundance of indoor play spaces designed for kids of all ages. You’ll find sensory-friendly gyms for young people with special needs, Montessori-style centers for child-led play and an entirely LEGO-themed indoor playground. Many of these spaces were designed with parents in mind too, offering opportunities for relaxation and socialization with other families.
These facilities all have COVID-19 precautions in place; check the websites before visiting.
Designed by a New Jersey early childhood teacher, Jellybean Jungle is made for kids 5 and younger. The facility offers open play hours in its bright and stimulating environment, as well as birthday parties, classes and camps. All of Jellybean Jungle’s programs are developed and facilitated by educators. Crispin Square Shopping Center, 230 N. Maple Ave., Marlton, NJ 08053
LEGOLAND Discovery Center is the ultimate destination for any kid who loves LEGOs—and we understand there are a lot of them. The indoor playground features endless LEGO-centric fun including race car tracks, a pirate-themed soft play area, earthquake tables and plenty of chances to build your own creations. 500 W. Germantown Pike, Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462
Smith Memorial Playground, which has an outdoor place space, recently reopened its indoor playhouse after significant renovations. Located in a historic building in Fairmount Park, the playhouse includes a miniature town, puppet theater and restaurant and kitchen play area. Tinker Town, an interactive play experience where kids can build and create with tools, is the first in rotating play installations. 3500 Reservoir Drive, Philadelphia, PA 19121
This South Philly play space was founded to build community in the area. A grassroots organization dedicated to supporting parents from prenatal stages to early childhood, Lilypad offers drop-in playgrounds for kids to play with each other and places for caregivers to relax and socialize. 1234 S. Broad St., Philadelphia, PA 19146
Located in North Philadelphia’s Fishtown neighborhood, PlayArts features a custom-built, Montessori-style play space with various stations to appeal to a range of ages and development stages. The open-ended toys encourage imaginative, child-led play. A sectioned-off area features softer toys for infants and nursing moms. 1241 N. Front St., Philadelphia, PA 19122
Peekaboo Playground, which was started by a speech language pathologist, is made to encourage learning through play. The swings, slides, tunnels and climbing structures throughout the playground allow for children to develop social and cognitive skills, mature emotionally and gain self-confidence.
175 Route 70, Medford, NJ 08055
Kids at Play is designed for all kids — all ages, needs and stages of development. The indoor playground and 7,000-square-foot multisensory facilities include a zip line, toddler area and ball pits. Parents will find occupational, physical and speech therapists to construct individualized therapy plans, private therapy sessions and group play for kids with specialized care needs. 3502 Scotts Lane, Suite 711, Philadelphia, PA 19129
With two locations in the greater Philadelphia area, Lulu’s Casita is a fun, inclusive and safe space for kids ages 5 and younger to play. The indoor playground includes ball pits, a slide, train table and LEGO wall. Lulu’s Casita also hosts events including story times, music circles and pizza nights. 6 Cricket Ave., Ardmore, PA 19003 & 109 N. High St., West Chester, PA 19380
A social atmosphere for kids to interact with one another and caregivers to relax, Media’s Toddler Town is a sleek indoor play space made for the littler ones, from infants to 5 year olds. The family-run business aims to be a place where local families can meet new friends. 300 W. Baltimore Ave., Media, PA 19063
NEST is designed with the parents of young children in mind. Besides its modern, nature-themed indoor playground for kids 8 months to 5 years, the facility also offers enrichment classes, a nail and hair salon, snack café and lounge. Located in downtown Philadelphia, NEST provides a respite from busy city life for urban families. 1301 Locust St., Philadelphia, PA 19107
Parents founded Romp ‘n’ Roll in 2004 to offer high-quality child development classes centered around a play-based curriculum. The classes and activities in the gym are designed to meet the needs of ages 3 months through 5 years. Rather than only focusing on the physical aspect of play, Romp ‘n’ Roll also incorporates art, music and imagination into the offerings. 2856 W. Moreland Road, Willow Grove, PA 19090
We Rock the Spectrum is the first indoor sensory gym for all kids, including those with special needs. Packed with specially designed equipment and toys made to be inclusive to all, We Rock the Spectrum has open play walk-in hours and availability for private play and parties. 12357-59 Academy Road, Philadelphia, PA 19154
This piece first appeared in the January 2022 issue of MetroKids.
