Location http://www.marketmall.ca/
Address: 3625 Shaganappi Trail NW
(Kids at Play is located in the court area by Old Navy, near the food court)
Gordie’s Review (4.5 years old) – “I liked running around”
Nicky’s Review (17 months old) – She found it a bit overwhelming when all the kids were in but was interested in exploring before it got busy.
Cost: Free
Supervision: You must register your children at the front for a 30 minute period.
Age Range: Children must be under 46” to play.
Surface: Recycled tire flooring.
Footwear: Socks.
Safety Features/Concerns: There is a locked gate at the front of the play area.
Play Area Features: transportation themed climbing structures, activity panels, 2 activity centres with a touch screen component.
Seating: There is seating all around the inside of the play area and bar style seating outside the play area on one side.
Overall Assessment: Market Mall’s play play just reopened this week, and honestly not much has changed. I don’t necessarily think that’s a bad thing. I was surprised to hear that they were renovating – it didn’t seem necessary, it was probably the most popular mall play area in Calgary and for good reason.
When I told my son that we were going to go see the new renovations, my son said “But why? The old one was so great!”
A few things have changed. The play space is now one large area that all kids under 46″ can play in. Some of the stuff that used to be in the back area have been removed and the equipment remaining is spaced a bit wider.
In addition, two activity centres have been added which each have a touch screen on one side. The flooring is the biggest change, the carpet is gone and has been replaced with recycled tire flooring.
Because it’s monitored, it never gets too crowded and the staff ensure the kids aren’t too big and will intervene if somebody’s not following the rules.
On the other hand, it’s not unusual to have to wait more than half an hour to get in and it’s rare that you can get in right away.
The spacing is nicer and my son Eric enjoyed it as much as he did before. The only temporary downside is the off gassing of the new floor which is a bit much if you are sensitive to chemical smells.i wonder how long it will take to go away, maybe a few months?
How often is the play area sanitized?