KidZone (RELOCATED!)

**KIDZONE HAS MOVED! THEY ARE NOW LOCATED AT 412B MIDDLE TURNPIKE WEST IN MANCHESTER. AS SUCH, THIS POST HAS BEEN ARCHIVED SINCE IT WAS A REVIEW OF THE OLD LOCATION!**

Raise your hand if you’re already suffering from cabin fever this winter!

The weather’s been cold and temperamental, and it feels like it’s never going to end. In our house, we’re all going a little stir crazy! Needless to say, we’ve been in search of indoor activities every weekend.

Earlier this month we actually rediscovered an indoor bounce house that we reviewed years back, but is now under new ownership. Many of us recall the old Jumpin’ Jonnies in Vernon. We were all pretty bummed when they closed. A little over a year ago, they reopened as Kidzone. And we finally had a chance to check them out! 

Located on Route 83 in Vernon, Kidzone is pretty convenient to find. It’s just down the road from I84 (and really close to Starbucks, which I needed that night).

You’ll see their sign from the road. 

The main doors face the parking lot. KidZone is open daily. Most days they are open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; on Friday and Saturday, they are open until 8 p.m. There are times when the hours may change and it’s best to check their website for updated hours before you drop in.  Sometimes on weekends, if they are busy (or if there are birthday parties), there may be a wait list. Walk-ins are always welcome for open play but it’s good to plan ahead if you can.

As you can see, we visited during the evening (Friday actually). There was a few groups of kids but it was surprisingly quiet for a Friday night.

Right when you walk in, you’ll see the check-in desk in front of you.  Head to the counter to pay admission and sign the waiver. A waiver is required to bounce and play. Admission is $13.95 for the unlimited use of the bounce houses.  Adults are free and can help their kids out. 

In addition to open jump, Kidzone also offers fabulous birthday party packages. 

Make sure you check out their rules. A few of the big ones include: Socks must be worn on ALL bouncers at all times; no running; no hiding or walking behind the equipment; no food, gum, candy or drinks in the bounce room; and a few rules about how to use the equipment including going feet first down slides, no climbing over the edges, and allowing time to exit before you go down the slide.

Once you’ve paid, signed your waiver and checked out the rules, you can head over to the play area!

There are cubbies to drop your shoes and coats off.

The bathrooms are right in this area too.

Near the shoe cubbies, there is also a small play area with soft toys, a slide and riding toys for the little ones.

After you’ve dropped off your shoes, but before you head head, you can read the big rules one more time. These are the big rules including socks must be worn, no food/drinks or gum, be safe and listen!

Once you head into the bounce area, you’ll see six bounce areas- three on each side.

They have your standard inflatable slide.

This one had a big cliff jump onto a bullseye. I swear every child in that place congregated to this one jumpie. There had to be like 12 of them rushing up the ladder, jumping and then getting back on at all times. We couldn’t pull my son away from this one!

The obstacle course bounce houses was awesome- when you went in the correct way. Make sure you enter from the back! Because it’s impossible to climb up the slide!

On the other side, there are three bounce houses — but not the typical open area bounce arena. These are some crazy bounce houses!

This one had a basketball hoop and two double slides!

The Cars theme one had an open bounce area, along with a climbing wall and a slide. 

The jungle themed bounce house had a lot going inside including a slide and climbing wall. It had a lot of hiding places and made for a great arena for hide and seek.

If you need a break from jumping, they also have a rock wall located near the front of the bounce area.

They also offer a Build a Buddy Station for $29.99.

And our favorite, their little arcade! The games were super affordable and some even dispensed tickets. We love ticket games and had a lot of fun playing these games!

Almost two hours later, this kid was fully jumped out. Even though it took some coaxing to get him off the bounce houses with the cliff jump, once we started heading out, you could tell he was done!

It’s so great when you can add another indoor playground to your list of things to do in this area. Whether its during the cold winter, the rainy spring or in the dead heat of the summer, it’s nice to have a place to escape that is indoors.

It’s going to be rainy this weekend, so it’ll be a great time to check this place out! If not this weekend, you’ll want to head over soon to check out the new KidZone!

This about sums it up…

234 Talcottville Road – Vernon, CT 

 Website

Hours:

Sunday – Thursday: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Friday & Saturday: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Open Jump Hours can vary – please check their website for an up-to-date schedule.

Prices: 

Open Bounce: $13.95 per child. Parents are free with a paid child.

Features:

• 6 Bouncers including 3 bounce houses, a slide, an obstacle course and a cliff jump
• Lots of climbing, lots of slides
• Arcade Games available for very minimal costs – tickets awarded and prizes available 
• No shoes allowed – socks needed to play (remember the socks!)
• Parking is available for free, in large lot
• Bathrooms available, including changing tables 
• Food available for purchase 
• Party rooms available for rent
• Food and drinks are not allowed inside the play area