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Letter to the editor

Rookie mom

Warehouse turns into wonderland

By KATHERINE SNOW SMITH
Published July 4, 2004

As I've said before, I'm a proponent of unscheduled summer days when children can get bored, then make their own fun. But I also acknowledge there are days when kids need to get out of the house and burn off some energy. And during steamy Florida summers it's great to burn off energy inside.

We found a place to do just that, especially for kids ages 6 and younger. In a nondescript warehouse in a nondescript shopping center off 62nd Avenue N in St. Petersburg sits the Ultimate Party & Play Zone.

This 6,300-square-foot "play arena" is filled with big slides, mazes, "moon walk bouncers," giant building blocks, motorized kid-sized cars and much more.

In the middle of all the stuff there is a lot of wide open space for running around. The Play Zone was opened in April by Mark and Cheryl Van Sciver, who have one daughter.

On our recent visit, my 7-year-old and 5-year-old daughters headed right for the 7-foot-high inflatable slide. After crawling through a maze and climbing up the back, they came flying down. They did this over and over and over, screaming louder and going faster each time. Then they moved over to the "moon walk" that's shaped like a castle and is big enough to hold a handful of kids.

Meanwhile, my 17-month-old son was thrilled to kick balls, in all colors and sizes, around the room then chase them and kick some more. He also liked riding a motorized plastic train and car around a track in one corner of the giant room. There are also several plastic cars and other vehicles that require foot power. My son also liked climbing in and out of a plastic tree house and the mouth of a giant blue hippopotamus.

At one point, all three of my kids were building a castle out of the oversized soft, padded blocks. They also enjoyed a box of dress-up clothes, a small kitchen area, a train table and a few smaller electronic toys.

It wasn't until the sugary sweet, cheery renditions of Itsy Bitsy Spider and I've Been Working on the Railroad started playing on the sound system that my oldest daughter realized the place really is geared more for younger kids. That's when she and I played a few games on the air-hockey table. My girls were ready to leave before their younger brother, but they were all happily occupied for about an hour and a half.

The Ultimate Party & Play Zone is open Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is $7 for the first child, $3 for a second, and any more in the same family get in free.

There is no charge for parents or grandparents. Everyone takes off shoes before entering the play area. Socks in different sizes are provided, then you leave them to be washed when you're done. The facility is very clean. One friend of mine commented that it's cleaner than her own house.

"Our main thing is safety and cleanliness," Mark Van Sciver said. "We chose equipment that was easily accessible for the people who are cleaning it."

The play zone is available for private birthday parties on weekends and certain weekday evenings. Party packages, from $125 to $225, include a party coach to lead the party and paper products for 16 children. A bigger, inflatable play area can be added at some parties. It's 34 feet long with two 11-foot-high slides and two obstacle courses.

"We wanted to offer the type of facility where parents could just show up and we would do everything," Van Sciver said. "Some people have told us this is the first time they have actually been able to spend time with their child during their birthday party."

- You can reach Katherine Snow Smith by e-mail at snowsmith@verizon.net or write Rookie Mom, St. Petersburg Times, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731.

[Last modified July 4, 2004, 01:00:39]