I get so excited when a new kid place opens, but then discouraged when it closes. Seems like this has happened to several places. So I was really excited when Kaleidoscape opened. Go check it out if you haven't been yet! Be sure to visit these local places to keep them in business! Rent for these businesses is no joke and they need our support.
I've visited a couple of times now and have enjoyed each visit. Kaleidoscape recently had a flood so they had to fix all the water damage. It was a blessing in disguise because they made it even better then before!
This last time I visited with my good friend Sarah from Alaska Baby Rentals and her kids. We got to see the new things Jennifer, owner of Kaleidoscape, had added. Jennifer is pictured above by the way. If you have a chance to talk to her, do! She has so much energy and a bazillion ideas. I love to see owners who invest in their visitors. Be sure to follow her on Facebook to see all the fun stuff going on.
My 7 year old didn't really want to visit, but then he didn't want to leave. He was really upset because he wanted to finish his Rig A Ma Jig invention. My 6, 4 and 13 month old had a blast as well. Luckily they were more compliant. The play studio is geared towards kids birth to 12.
You can play at Kaleidoscape in blocks of time and its best to book online. This has its pros and cons. Pro is that it is not going to be so crowded that you freak out with kids everywhere. Con is your kids might not be ready to leave when your time is up or your kid might be ready to leave and you've only been there 10 minutes. You can just show up, but there is no guarantee that you will get to play.
The environment is so welcoming, colorful and fun. It's just enough to not be overwhelming. My 14 month old loved looking at the flags hanging. There is a nursing room in back so you can feed baby in private and not be distracted. I always appreciate when there is a place for mommas to feed their little ones. There are chairs for adults to sit on, but a lot of the adults were sitting on the floor playing with their kiddos. Rockstar parents!
The exhibits are always changing. I love to see this! Something new each month to interact with. When we went, there was a mechanic set up, my girls loved it! Other kids would take turns sitting in the car and working on it. A new exhibit, that I didn't get to see yet, is a collaboration with the Alaska Native Heritage Center. There will be cultural awareness, history and Alaska fun for kiddos! Visit the website to find out the theme of the exhibits.
Okay so I might be a dork, but I love how Jennifer turned these bins into faces. This is great for those germaphobes. Any toys that get some sort of child ickyness gets thrown in here to be cleaned. There are several on the walls around the play areas. Genius.
My only complaint is price. It's $10 per kid. Having 4 kids, it can get spendy, luckily baby is free. So we can only go once in awhile or when the big kids are in school. I'd love to see a sibling discount! Rent for businesses can be so expensive so I understand the price. Don't let the price deter you! We need to support local businesses so we have some place to take our kids!
