PlanJam!From your screen to the scene

If your kids beg you to take them to Chuck E. Cheese, they’ll probably also enjoy My Kids Clubhouse in Poway. As my 7-year old put it, “My Kids Clubhouse is basically Chuck E. Cheese without pizza or video games.” The large room houses climbing tunnels, 3 wavy slides, a small ball pit, a pretend play area, and a toddler area, in addition to a snack bar and a few tables where moms can sit back and enjoy a latte. Besides the tables, there were a handful of rocking chairs (a thoughtful touch since there were a lot of moms with infants). The scene included just about every type of parent—lots of moms with at least one child, more than a couple of dads, a few grandmas, and a playgroup or two.

My oldest son and his friend (both age 7) ran through the tunnels repeatedly until they were drenched in sweat. My middle son (age 5) tired of the tunnels after about 30 minutes and started following around my youngest son (20 months) in the pretend play area. The play area was sparse, in my opinion, consisting of a few wooden play kitchens, a train table, a cash register, a toy box full of costumes, and a couple of bookshelves with toys on them. I expected more—maybe tools, doctor kits, that sort of thing.

We had planned to stay for 2 hours, but after about an hour, my boys were all ready to leave. On the ride home, their reviews of My Kids Clubhouse ranged from “Awesome!” (from my 7-year old) to “Bor-ing!” (from my 5-year old).

If you’ve been a parent in Southern California for long, you know that most indoor play places are insanely busy when the weather is rainy or very hot. My Kids Clubhouse is no exception to this rule. When I took my kids it was a double whammy—a rainy, cold Martin Luther King, Jr. Day—and My Kids Clubhouse was at or near capacity. However, according to two parents who go regularly, it’s rarely that busy.

My Kids Clubhouse is available for birthday parties and offers several different packages and pricing options. However, note that the clubhouse is open to the public during parties, so it could easily get very crowded with kids other than your guests.

Admission is $7 for the first child and $5 for each additional sibling. Infants under 1 year are free with paid admission. Adults are always free. Check out the San Diego Family Magazine for a discount admission coupon and don’t forget to wear socks!