Up here in Enfield, we talk about our mall a lot. I personally love that it has Target, a cute play area for toddlers and Panera. But it definitely needs some revitalizing. I think we all know that.
So, when something new opens up, it becomes big news around here. And last week, something moved in just for the kids. Crystal’s Fun Spot opened on August 11, and you just know we had to be there on the first day!
Crystal’s Fun Spot is located right near the Cinemark Theater. You can enter through any mall entrance to reach it. But the most direct route is the mall entrance by Panera.
I was surprised at how big Crystal’s Fun Spot was! Even though I knew it was coming soon to the mall, I had not really seen which store front it was going into; so I was shocked when I saw how much room it was taking up! They had space for TWO bounce houses, two enclosed play areas, a video gaming area, a small mini-golf course, several tabletop games, a whole area with playscapes and slides, arts and crafts in a few different spots, and tons of seating for the parents. There is plenty of room to move around, but it’s not too large that you worry about losing track of your kids. It’s also nice that there is only one way in and out, so you won’t have to worry about runners.
When you first arrive, they have a few different signs pointing you towards the front desk to check in and pay for admission.
The front desk is to your left when you enter.
When you arrive, you’ll need to fill out and sign a waiver. This will have to be completed for EVERY visit.
The admission rate is $10 for one hour of play for children over age 2. Children 2 and under are $5 per hour. Parents are free. There are updated pricing details on their website; they also have the option to add on an additional one hour of play for $8 for children 2 and up, and $3 for an additional hour for children 2 and under. You can pay with either cash or credit card.
They also now offer a membership package: $100 per month for 2 children. More details can be found on their website or by visiting in person!
Once you sign the waiver and pay, all kids are given a wristband which has your time of departure on it. Since we arrived at 12:35, we had until 1:35!
Crystal’s has a no-shoe policy and they offer storage for your belongings right near the front desk!
You’ll find their rules posted throughout, but some of the big ones are that shoes must be removed and socks must be worn; parents need to stay with children under age 12; no food, drinks or gum are allowed inside; and play safe!
Since it was lunch time on a Friday (we had a late start that day since someone slept until 9 a.m.), it was pretty quiet. There were two other kids with us for the first half of our visit, but after that we had the place to ourselves! He had a great time exploring EVERYTHING this place had to offer. We definitely made good use of our hour!
Towards the front, you’ll find more of the older kid “toys”. Right near the entrance, they have a set up with big chairs, big screen TVs and videogames!
There are several table-top games including a pool table, two air hockey tables and a foosball table.
I don’t know what it is with this kid’s fascination with air hockey, but I have a feeling I’m going to have on in my basement someday.
Also towards the front they have a little miniature golf course. There are several clubs and plenty of golf balls. We tried that out for the first time ever, and it’s safe to say I won’t be letting this kid get his hands on a golf club for a long time.
As you go further in to the play area, you find what I refer to as our black hole: a train table. And, we were done.
I have to admit he did play with plenty of other things here, which I’ll show you more of below. But every time he finished with an activity, I’d find him back at this train table. He parked himself in all the different chairs that surrounded it. He liked turning it on and watching it slide across the table. And then he would turn it off and push it around himself. This kid and his trains; like he doesn’t play with them enough at home?
One thing that did spark his attention for a while was this little car! It was pretty popular with the other two kids that were there, but they were all really good at taking turns. I must say, if he drives like this in 12 years, he won’t be getting a license!
Towards the back, they have a whole area set up with playscapes, slides and playhouses.
He loved the slides!
And he was really into the playhouse and climbing on top of the castle.
Opposite of this area, they have two fenced in play areas for younger kids. One was geared towards babies and crawlers, and the other was for toddlers. The fence could easily be shut tight and no one was escaping. He checked this out off and on, mostly because he spotted a Thomas ride-on toy, but he was way more into the bigger kid stuff. Maybe one year ago, this would have been his spot but those toys are “too small” for him now (his words, not mine)!
Outside of the fenced in areas, they had a few toys including a kitchen set, a doctor set and this super cute exercise bicycle.
There was also a basketball hoop on the other side of the gated area.
Towards the back were two good size bounce houses.
He tried just one out because he was too involved with what was just outside the bounce houses: the ball pit. After the train table, this is where he spent most of his time!
Throughout the entire place, they also had several areas set up with arts & crafts or building activities. There were easels for coloring and drawings. There were also a couple tables that were set up with Legos. We never really checked that out, because he was having way too much fun with all the other activities. But these are a great quiet activity, if your child needs a rest from all the active fun!
Of course, if you need rest, mom and dad, they have seating for you too. Really comfortable seating. Those leather chairs were super comfortable. I recommend sitting in the adult sized chairs. I sat in a beanbag chair near the train table and I had a real fun time trying to get out!
We had a great time checking out the new Crystal’s Fun Spot. I love that this is in the Enfield Square Mall. We really need something like this for our families and for the kids in this town! Everyone is always saying how the mall needs more fun things and now we have it! They’ve done a great job setting up a clean, organized and safe play area for kids of all ages, and have also provided a super comfortable area for parents to relax while the kids play. The staff on site is awesome and we had the undivided attention of one of the young workers who my son took a major liking to! They are super hands-on and happy to help, but they also give the kids their space to play.
You will definitely want to give Crystal’s Fun Spot a try! I am a little sad that it just opened now, as I ship my boy off to full-time preschool because had this opened while we were home all the time, this would have become our go-to place! For now, we’ll have to save it for weekends and vacations (and maybe after school once in a while).
So, make sure you get out and support Crystal’s Fun Spot! We always say this mall needs saving, here’s how we can do it!
This about sums it up…
Hours: Monday – Saturday: 10 a.m. – 9 p.m., Sunday: 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Cost: $10 per hour for children over the age of 2; additional one hour can be added on for $8
$5 per hour for children 2 and under; additional one hour can be added on for $3
Inquire at Crystal’s Fun Spot about membership passes.
Features:
- Open play area, gated play areas for babies/crawlers and toddlers.
- Good for children of all ages
- Parents must stay with children 12 and under!
- No food, drinks or gum
- No shoes facility- REMEMBER SOCKS
- Only one way to escape- easy to keep track of your kids
- Carpeted flooring
- Plenty of seating for the parents throughout the play area
- Birthday Party Packages available
- Mall parking lot, near Target & Panera is most convenient
- No bathrooms in the facility itself, but there are bathrooms in the mall, at Target and in Panera.
Great review-so detailed with so many photos. Hopefully, this will help revive the mall. And this business!
Thanks for reading! I really hope this helps the mall too!