Outdoor play for kids is kind of limited by our weather in Western Washington. We do have the Wild Waves theme park, but it’s only open during the summer.
Family Fun Center in Tukwila
In the last few years, a Family Fun Center opened in Tukwila, and it looks to be doing a roaring business. At least it was on the when we visited on a school holiday.
There are attractions that appeal to the very young on up to teens. Kidopolis offers four stories of soft play with cushioned “rock” walls, slides, rotating barrels, balls, a horse and a ride with Mr. Potato Head. After going through the gate, the toddler generation eagerly whisks off their socks and gets right down to serious play. My three-year-old granddaughter loved climbing up to the top of the “big” slides and then sitting there until we asked a bigger child to give her a gentle push down.
For bigger kids, Laser Tag, Max Flight and Bumper Cars have their appeal. When the outdoor attractions are available, they also have their choice of Go Karts, Sling Shot, Miniature Golf, Bumper Boats, Batting Cages, Traffic School and more. Of course, the wide array of video games inside interest almost any child.
If you or the gang are hungry, there’s a snack bar available plus Bullwinkle’s Restaurant which offers the usual fun center fare like pizza, burgers, salads, fries and my favorite – a “Build-your-own Sundae” for $2.
I spied one mom with older children who was studying in the restaurant. Others sat and watched the tots from the metal benches.
Safety regulations seem to be enough to keep the children from getting hurt, but not too much to stifle their play creativity. There are minimum and maximum heights for some of the play areas and rides plus lots of employees milling around.
Everything, except the food, runs on a point system. For example, you buy a 100-point card for $25 and that can be used for Bumper Cars (22 points), Bumper Boats (22 points), Laser X-Treme (28 points) and Miniature Golf (28 points).
For more information, visit www.fun-center.com.
