Area: Bowmanville South

Address: 330 Lake Road, Bowmanville, Ontario
Website: https://joeysplayground.com/

Cost: ​varies by activity please check the website for details 
*NOTE: currently private bookings of the facility are available at a reasonable rate for social bubble circles

Public Hours: 
Mondays 10am-4pm
Tuesdays through Sundays 10am-8pm

Features: 

• Indoor Playground structure; with a multiple story play structure and various play elements at different locations throughout, including a separate toddler area with smaller slide, this is the place to let the kids run free, including a mini skyscraper climbing tower with a real belay safety harness! https://joeysplayground.com/play/
• Sky Trekking; a suspended obstacle course to challenge your skills, children must be able to reach with their fingertips 65″ height,  maximum participant height is 80″ (6’8”), and maximum weight limit is 275 pounds.  https://joeysplayground.com/skytrekking/
• Stoick Axe Throwing is open daily from 4pm-9pm; this one is for the big kids, each lane fits 2-4 participants but you can always book more than one lane with friends! This is also a WATL certified League facility that is in the same building as Joey's World Playground! https://stoickaxethrowing.com/
• Pinnacle Indoor Rock Climbing sessions are available to book daily from 10am-6pm; with 40ft walls and over 4,000 sq ft of climbing space, this is a great indoor rock climbing facility in Durham and is in the same building as Joey's World Playground! https://pinnacleindoorclimbing.com/

Cleanliness:
Top notch! With the current 2020 pandemic, restrictions on cleaning have certainly changed and Joey's World management has gone above and beyond ensuring that the Indoor Playground is kept clean between each private social circle booking. Staff were very attentive to cleanliness and climbed through the entire playground structure after our social circle private booking ended. 

Safety: Waiver to sign before your first visit if anyone is participating in the skyscraper climbing tower that is part of the Indoor Play area, or if you are booking axe throwing or rock climbing. Play safety rules are posted at the bottom of the structure and socks are required for play.
NOTE: current safety precautions require all guests to wear masks upon entering the facility but can be removed when using the play areas. All staff will wear masks at all times.

Capacity:

Food: Joey's World is a nut aware facility. No outside food is permitted. No food, drinks or gum allowed in the play areas. There is a small concession counter that serves drinks, snacks, and a small selection of hot foods. (NOTE: food selection is limited during private social circle bookings). 

Additional Services:

• two party rooms are available for birthdays and special events
• free wi-fi in the lounge area for parents and caregivers

Bonus Play:
Adults are encouraged to play with the kids! 
Gift cards are available online here.

Best for Ages: toddler to Adult. The main play structure is recommended for ages 5 and up but our 3 year old didn't have too many issues reaching platforms with the help of her big sister. She wanted to be where the big kid action was but did spend quite a bit of time in the toddler area as well by herself. 

Overall Review: We love Joey's World! I just wish we didn't live so far away or we would definitely be visiting them more often. Our kids, ages 6 and 3, love the indoor playground structure. There are many different levels and elements for them to play hide and seek around, two different slides with one in the top to middle of the structure and one twirly slide from the top to the bottom. The highlight for our 6 year old was the skyscraper climbing wall. She loved climbing up and learning how to belay herself down. While we didn't try out the sky trekking, axe throwing, or pinnacle rock climbing facility, they definitely deserve a separate trip out with a new review when I do get a chance to go again (maybe without the kids?). 

Area: North Oshawa
​
Address: 1300 Wilson Rd N, Oshawa ON, L1K 2B8
Website: http://nebsfunworld.com/

Cost*: see their website for details (*as of May 2022)
Play Centre;

• all day pass $12.50 (ages 12 and under, adult accompaniment is FREE)

Rides;

• single ride ticket $4.50 (some rides take 1 ticket (45 credits), some take 2 tickets ($9.00 for 90 credits)
• multi-ticket packs available

Arcade;

• purchase a Fun Card (we bought a 115 credit card for $10 and it lasted almost an hour)

Bowling;

• $3.25 per pair of shoes +$5.50 per game (lanes also rent by the hour)

Public Hours: (*as of August 2017; although daily hours per activity vary slightly)
Check their website for hours per calendar day for details
Sunday: 11:00am-10:00pm (rides 12:00pm-9:30pm)
Mon-Thurs: 9:30am-11:00pm (rides 1:00pm-10:30pm)
Friday: 9:30am-11:30pm (rides 1:00pm-10:30pm)
Saturday: 9:30am-11:30pm (rides 11:00am-10:30pm)


Features:

• three story climber structure with twirly tube slide, three racing slides, double wide three story slide, and zipline!
• 8 different fair rides
• arcade with games and ticket prizes
• 5 pin, 10 pin, and cosmic bowling

Cleanliness: Very clean when we visited in the main picnic table seating area, inside the structure (yep I climbed inside with my baby strapped to me) and clean washroom (the family stall has a change table in it). The go kart helmets required hair nets first, and the arcade and bowling areas had staff circulating to clean on a regular basis (we were there for a total of four hours).

Safety: No safety gate between the play area and the desk reception, however this area is far (a whole bowling alley away) from the front door and only had one entrance to the play structure area. The first seating area is right beside the entrance to the play area so it's also easy to watch. The second seating area faces one side of the play area and allows you to see through the main structure.

Capacity: I will have to add this once I confirm, but it is a VERY large building and was busy when we were there, but the space didn't feel too crowded and the only ride line that was long was the go karts (20min wait)

Food: NO outside food or drink is permitted, but we did see kids water bottles throughout the bowling lanes. No food, drinks or gum are permitted in the play areas. All food must be consumed in the designated eating area. There is a full concession available with a full service menu.

Additional Services:

• birthday party and event bookings available (with a combination of activities)

Bonus Play: They offer specials and coupons regularly so check their website before you go (you may have to signup for an email for the bowling specials, but the coupon code will come through instantly).

Best For Ages:
Play Centre:

• 18 months -12years (you can bring infants, but there is no toddler area in the play structure apart from the soft floor surface)

Rides:

• 3yrs and up is best (the only ride our 35" daughter could ride alone was the Mini Jets) so best to avoid the ride area if you have a short tot....she could have ridden the Sparetime Express coaster but she was scared and said it looked too fast (see photos below for ride height requirements)

Arcade:

• 3yrs and up (only because it's loud and there are some scarier arcade type games mixed in)

Bowling:

• about ages 2yrs and up (unless your toddlers have large feet as the smallest bowling shoes we found were toddler size 6), and we think it's awesome kids get to use the dragon bowling aids! (see video and photo below)

​Overall Review: We spent an entire afternoon here (about 4 hours) because there are so many different things to do! Most rides for our preschooler were a bit too 'fast and scary' as she put it but the mini jets were perfect for her. It took about 20mins total for us to 'experience' the rides which included walking around looking at the rides, waiting for a rotating attendant to come to the mini jets, and riding the jets. The older kids spent a total of 2 hours doing the rides, go karts, and rock climbing while we headed to the play centre and spent just over an hour in the structure. Adults can climb all the way in too and I felt like there was plenty of room in most areas for me with the baby in the carrier strapped to me (although I didn't attempt the tall twirly slide). There was a rousing game of tag happening in the play centre and area when we were there and it looked like a lot of fun (if only the preschooler was older and able to keep up). I felt comfortable she was able to handle the entire structure on her own so I was able to stand and sit (only three tree stumps available to sit on) for most of her play time. The pass was good all day, but she wanted to do other activities too. The bowling and a snack was next. The tiny bowling shoes are sooo cute! I was really excited to see how much she loved the 'dragon back' to bowl down. She was easily able to lift the 5 pin bowling balls and carry them herself to the bowling aid (we would set it up for her each time and move it to the side when we were bowling). 5 pin bowling in a lane with 4 people (including one preschooler) takes about an hour because we were also snacking at the lane between turns. It was great to have the snacks delivered right to our lane after we ordered. We will definitely be heading back here to bowl more often as we loved it for a family event with the bumpers up and bowling aid! After this sights turned to the arcade. With 115 credits (for $10) we lasted almost an hour in the arcade playing games and winning tickets and taking the time to decide what to buy with said tickets (that probably took the longest haha).

Neb's Fun World is probably not the cheapest place to go in terms of the amount you may end up doing, but with a variety of activities for different ages it is a hit! The play centre value is definitely comparable to other indoor play centres, but be forewarned it is right beside the rides so be prepared to spend a little extra on a few ride tickets if begged by the kids. I do have friends that are able to go just to the bowling area and leave without tears as the play centre and rides are not visible from the lanes, only the entrance to the arcade is. Overall it is definitely a family fun centre!

Area: South Pickering
​
Address: 1420 Bayly St #15, Pickering, ON L1W 3R4
Website: http://funfactoryplay.ca/

Cost*: for unlimited play during public hours (*as of May 2022

• Under 1 $4.99 (with paid sibling)
• 3 and under $8.99
• 4-13yrs $13.00
• 14-17 $8.99 (with paid sibling under 13yrs)
• Adults $4.99

Public Hours: we suggest checking their event hours before you go, as it can close for private events
Monday 9:30 - 6:00
Tuesday 9:30 - 7:00
Wednesday 9:30 - 6:00
Thursday 9:30 - 6:00
Friday 9:30 - 8:00
Saturday 9:30 - 8:00
Sunday 9:30 - 8:00

Features:

• three story climber structure with twirly tube slide, two racing slides, ball pit, rock climbing wall
• fenced toddler area (up to age 3) with smaller ball pit, playhouse, rotating ball swing, padded floor
• ball bouncing cage with small to large yoga balls and a basketball net

Cleanliness: Overall it was very clean when we visited in July in the play area, general seating area, as well as the washrooms. Socks are required by all including adults and are worn as soon as entering the building (including into the self enclosed washrooms).

Safety: There is no gate or fence between the front reception and play area so toddlers could take off out of the main play/eating area to the front of the building. Security cameras are installed around the facility.

Capacity: 50 children plus 50 adults (maximum private birthday booking size)

Food: Outside food and drink is permitted, however they ask that it be nut-free. No food, drinks or gum are permitted in the play areas. All food must be consumed in the designated eating area.

Additional Services:

• two birthday party rooms
• concession with light snacks such as chips and crackers, water and some additional beverages

Bonus Play: Play stamp card available at the front desk (play 9 times, get the 10th visit free!). They also have monthly and yearly memberships available.

​Best For Ages: 1-13years

​Overall Review:
Our three and a half year old had a blast at this indoor playground! She met up with some friends her age and they had no problem navigating the entire play structure on their own without any help. The bonus with their age is that they can still enter the Toddler area for ages 3 and under for some low key downtime if needed in the toddler ball pit (which is generally empty compared to the larger ball pit at the back of the main structure). We do recommend you monitor the double big slide as with a lot of kids it gets busy and they don't always wait their turn, which has caused pile-ups and injuries. We brought our own lunch in since the concession only sells snacks, which allowed us to stay and play for three hours! During public hours playtime is unlimited once you pay the entrance fee. The seating area (sorry it was really busy and we couldn't get a good photo) has enough chairs and tables for up to 25 people, including a couple of high chairs, to stay and eat to play as long as you like. We will DEFINITELY go back to this location to play again in the future!