we finally did something we've been talking about forever and made our way over to World of Bounce in Grove City, OH. this place is definitely not easy to find, but definitely worth the effort and cost---and an incredible way to end up with worn out kids if you're looking for an early bedtime. :)
if you're looking to go yourself, be sure to check their website, as they have some odd hours for open bounce. cost is $7 for the first child and $4 for additional siblings. adults always bounce free with paid child admission! bonus!
i have to admit, upon first walking in to the facility and looking around the bounce room, i thought it looked super lame. but, it only took a few minutes of hearing their giggles and seeing their smiles before i changed my tune and thanked my lucky stars for such inexpensive new-to-them spring break entertainment. it really wasn't lame at all.
i wasn't so sure how ashlyn would handle this type of environment because of her sensory issues. new place, loud noises, lots of unexpected interactions.....none of them being on her favorite things list. the photo above is what i call her 'deer in headlights' expression. you can tell she was quite unenthusiastic at first.....but it didn't take long for that to change.she's old enough now and had enough therapy to know that i'll never put her into a harmful situation. but that still doesn't mean she's able to handle them without trepidation. we're working on it.
spidergirl has become her security blanket in these type of situations. ashlyn is sure to never let her out of her sight and goes into a visible panic by pacing the floor if she isn't close by--meanign within eyeshot. spidergirl is none the wiser and doesn't find it annoying at all. :) i must say, i've enjoyed not having a cling-on.
there were 4 inflatable bounce gyms in the side of the facility we were in, including a racing slide, an obstacle course, a collesium where they could play dodgeball or shoot hoops within the bounce house, and a smaller obstacle/slide play gym. in addition, they had several balancing steps, gymnatics mats, bouncing balls, nerf balls, etc.
non-stop bouncing! boing.....boing....boing!
this picture makes me sing the song "stuck like glue" by sugarland in my head. that's these two right now....stuck like glue. you rarely find them separated.
see what i mean??? i *love* this stage. :)
this is definitely someplace we'll consider visiting again. especially seeing how quickly ashlyn became comfortable with the place. the super friendly supervising staff helped tremendously.it would be a perfect choice for a birthday party, i think! for the locals that want to visit, plan to bring your own snacks and drinks. they offer a sound-proof observation room just for parents to watch through the wall to wall windows if you don't want to be in there with them. they don't offer a concession stand, but have a few vending machines. oh, and socks are required and they do sell them for $1 per pair if you forget yours.
totally worth the $11 for 2 1/2 hours of bouncing.....and totally worth the battle wounds (aka: bounce burns).i can't wait to share our pictures from bowling next! spidergirl was a sight to behold.
We have a couple places like this in the Chicagoland area. One is called Pump it Up and the other is called Jump Zone. I have found that it is actually good therapeutic heavy work for Lily, with her sensory processing disorder! Glad you found a place and that the girls enjoyed it!
ReplyDeleteoooooh, heavy work. it's definitely heavy work. we make sure she gets lots of that in, every day. whether in the form of wrestling with dad, trampoline time, or carrying heavy laundry. it's amazing the different a little time using those big muscle help her focus.
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