Kids' Fun Stop: A Guest Review and Discount Deal!

My baby was five.  I couldn't believe it!  He would go to Kindergarten in the fall,
and he and his friends for the last three years from his daycare/preschool would
all be going separate ways.  But at least we had one more get together planned:
his birthday party.  We had been watching the weather all week long.  
It seemed like the rain was going to break by noontime.  Hopefully the sun
would come out just in time to allow us to have it at the playground and sprinkler
park, as he had been planning on for weeks.  When we woke up on Sunday morning,
it was pouring!  The forecast for the day had changed significantly and there

did not appear to be much of a let up all day.

What's a momma to do?  This party was as much for me to say goodbye to

all the friends I had made over the years as it was for him.  As I

looked in my little boy's eyes, they began to fill with tears as I

explained how we needed to postpone the party and would try to

reschedule.  My heart broke.  Then the mission began: find an indoor

venue that could accommodate 15-20 four and five year-olds for that

afternoon.

Then it hit me: what about the Kids' Fun Stop in West Roxbury?  I used

to take the boys there a lot when they were younger, but Nathan was

now eight and too old to attend during regular business hours (the

indoor playground is designed for kids six and under).  I had known

that they closed early on Saturday and Sunday afternoons for private

parties.  What I wasn't sure of, is whether they had one booked for

that afternoon.  After playing phone tag with the owner, Kay Benson, I

was delighted to hear that she hadn't booked a party for that

afternoon and would be able to accommodate us last minute.  Kids' Fun

Stop to the rescue!

When we arrived, we were greeted by party hostesses who already had

tables set up and quickly and graciously asked us questions about what

we had planned and explained how they usually structure a party.  We

brought a couple of games and activities, along with a piñata, some

snacks and drinks, and they took care of the rest!

The party was a hit!  Just about every family who was going to come to

the playground made it, and I got to enjoy  being with my friends just

as much as Noah enjoyed playing with his.  Kids' Fun Stop handled

everything!  They set up and organized the food and drinks that I

brought, helped the kids to play games (and told me about it so I

didn't miss anything!), cut and passed out the cake and ice cream

sandwiches, kept everything moving along, organized the piñata, helped

to pass out goody bags at the end, and cleaned up!  It was a win-win

for all involved!

The facility itself is very clean and has an array of activities to

keep the kids engaged from dress up, paper and markers and books, to

ride-on toys, a tall twisty slide, huge exercise balls, a climbing

ladder on the wall, and a big ride on fire truck. (See HERE for

pictures from their website) There are benches for parents to sit on,

bathrooms with a changing table, and a snack room that easily

accommodated almost 20 kids and their parents.  There's even a gated

area that is for children under the age of two.  Everything aside from

the snack room is in one big open area which allows for parents to sit

and relax or talk with others and still be able to see their child.

There's enough room for kids to run around, and the set up is

conducive to active play on one side, and quieter play on the other.

Some of Noah's friends brought younger and older siblings, and all

kids had a great time!

Never heard of Kids' Fun Stop?  It's located at 1580 VFW Parkway in

West Roxbury, on the Dedham line, only a few miles from the new Legacy

Place.  It is in the same plaza as Joanne Fabrics.  There is free WiFi

and it is air conditioned!  Perfect for those too hot or rainy summer

days where you need to get kids out of the house. You are welcome to

bring snacks and/or a lunch, but they also have some drinks and snacks

for sale.  Their prices are reasonable, too.  Twelve dollars for the

first child (which includes two adults) and $6 for each additional

child.  Bonus:  all "bucket seat babies" are free!  Would you like to

check it out?  We've got a deal for you!

Kids' Fun Stop also has a variety of specials happening all the time.

Here are just a few:

*Monday is Family Day -  $2 savings per family

*Seven days a week - $2 savings for grandparents (get out of the sun!!)

*Tuesday is Grandparents day (year round) - $6 savings per family

*Wednesday is Twins Day (year round) - BOGO in for free

*Super Thursdays - bring a friend for free with one full priced admission or a monthly pass

*Thursday is First Responder, Military & Teacher Day - $2 off per family

*Friday is Daddy Day - $6 off if Dad comes in

*Super Sat/Sun -- watch for these, they will have several throughout the summer! (same as Super Thursday)

ASD* playtimes -- times & dates to be announced

They also allow camps to have field trips there.

Magic Show - time/date to follow

Touch a Critter - time/date to follow

Safety Event - October 25th, 12:30-3 (time may change)

Paint Night Mommy & Me - time/date to follow

Book Swap - time/date to follow

Drop off week days (during open time) Advanced Registration required.

Available for children 1.5-6 years old

Drop off weekends/evenings (while closed to public) Advanced

registration required. Ages 2-8

Check out www.kidsfunstop.com and their Facebook page for more info.

and updates!

*Playtimes for children on the Autism Spectrum.