Exploraworld

My daughter loves going to Playwise kids during their less busy hours. There are so many things to do, including a large sand box, a puppet theatre, dress up, building with blocks, sliding, shopping, and more! However, if you go at the end of the day or during a real busy period, you might find yourself in a huge mess. I have not seen anyone straitening up throughout the day. So, as dozens of kids go from area to area, the mess stays. Grocery items end up across the building, the dance floor is covered with dress up clothes, etc. I am also concerned about safety. I have seen multiple outlets without covers on them and have found a lot of sharp, broken plastic toys in the sandbox. more

Exploraworld is a huge warehouse type building set up with different play areas. There is a sand area, dress up area, weather station and tv area, medical, and even a real life fire truck - there are many more areas also. I like the open space so you can keep an eye on sets of children - helpful especially with different age groups. I've had birthday parties there and the kids absolutely loved it. The party wasn't anything spectacular but the kids were never bored. In addition, it is great because parents can really get it and play with the kids. You can dress up, paint, build with the kids. If you are a stay at home mom or daycare provider go during the week not as crowded! more

Exploraworld in Columbia is a huge indoor play area that I always think of as being geared towards younger children (preschool, kindergarten) although I've seen older children there having a ton of fun too. The building is warehouse sized, and you can see almost the whole space easily (no blocked vision--great when you are trying to keep track of children). The space is divided into individual play areas, with a different theme in each--there's a play grocery store, dress-up area, sand pit, ball pit, climbing area, arts and crafts, and their piece de resistance: a real fire engine the kids can climb on. While a lot of this can be duplicated at home for much less than the entry fee to Exploraworld ($8.50 for most children, although you frequently can get discount coupons in Baltimore's Child magazine), there's something very appealing to the large size and scope of Exploraworld. In the dead of winter, it's a fun place to run around. It's also a perfect place for playgroups to get together or to hold birthday parties--kids can have a lot of fun playing together without the cramped space of home or the mess to clean up afterwards! more

This is a giant warehouse setup with various activities for kids from infants (under one) to maybe 7 year olds. Kids older than that will likely get bored quickly. For the younger ones though, this place will hold their attention for hours. There are various stations set up with blocks, a real fire truck that you can climb into, an entire area that is like a beach full of sand, etc... Kids can entertain themselves and each other and adults can actually have find the time to have an almost uninterrupted conversation with another adult. It's really cheap and the admission gets you in for as long as you want to stay. There is also a cafeteria and vending machines if you don't like to plan ahead and carry a bunch of stuff. more

Exploraworld is a huge warehouse space broken into individual play areas by short walls that parents can easily see over. Kids from infancy to 10 or 12 can find plenty to do here, and there are snacks available, as well as private party facilities. Very inexpensive. A great bad-weather activity. more