No Go Bambini

It's been quite rainy lately, and I decided to bring Asher to Go-Go-Bambini at Dempsey to check out the place.  It's also an indoor playground like Polliwogs, and since we had such a good time at Polliwogs, I was hoping for the same at Go-Go-Bambini which had the added benefit of being nearer to our house. 

Asher still had fun running around, but think he had a better time at Polliwogs cos he had more space to run and I didn't have to hold him back quite so often.  The problem is that while Go-Go-Bambini is a small place, it tries to squeeze in as much equipment as possible, with the result that you end up feeling quite cramped.  The obstacles were also not as toddler friendly.  The ramps were steeper, the ball pits had walls that you could climb, so many older kids would climb up and blindly jump back into the pit without looking at what or who they are jumping on.  Most dangerous for babies and toddlers!  There was in fact a lady with a baby constantly yelling out to the kids there to watch where they were jumping onto, but they didn't heed her calls at all.  The kids were also forcefully throwing balls all over the place, and I took several hits for Asher.  Some of the obstacles definitely cannot be navigated by toddlers alone, for example a series of sponge columns to climb onto to get through a hole in the ceiling.  In general there were less toddler friendly options than Polliwogs.

Also, I suppose cos it was at Dempsey, a more central location, it was wayyy more crowded - adding to the already cramped conditions.  Then throw in the demographic of older kids who tended to push and shove more, and you have an environment not entirely suited to babies and toddlers.

It's not that Go-Go-Bambini isn't a good place, I just think it isn't so ideal for babies and toddlers.  It's great for children who can run around unsupervised.  So until Asher reaches that stage, I don't think I'll be going back there for a while.

Two Days of Play

We had two back-to-back days of fun with Emma and Josiah at East Coast. It's been a while since the trio met, so we arranged for an afternoon at Poiliwogs, an indoor playground. It's a great place for kids to explore and have a good run-around, and is suitable for toddlers too. Asher had so much fun in the ball pits, with the slides, the obstacles, the punching bags, the ramps, etc.

I must say, though, that it's not just the kids who get a good workout, the parents do too! The play area is quite large, and the play structure is three storey high. However, to accomodate three stories in that building, the height of each floor isn't that high. So if you are more than a metre tall, you basically have to run about hunched over or crawl around after your kid :) I could feel a slight ache at the end of the day, but, it's still great fun! Sure beats going to the gym :O)

A slide going straight into the ball pit!

 

Many obstacles to clumb over and walk through

There's a play area for younger kids too so that they don't get trampled on. But Asher and Emma were happy to be running around the more challenging sections :)

We met Jo and Josiah at MacCafe for a drink and traded our latest stories of motherhood while the little ones snacked on muffins. It was actually quite difficult to remove Asher from Polliwogs cos he was having so much fun! He kept wanting to go back into the play area even though you could see from unsteady walking he was tired! The funny thing was, the more tired he got, the more deliriously happy and laughy he became! It was hilarious to watch!

Anyway, by the end of the day we had agreed to meet up again the following afternoon to let the children meet up for a time of sand play.

Asher and I got the first and laid out the mat and started digging the sand. Emma was next, and she decided it was best to store up energy for playtime, and started the session with a nap :) Good thinking, since there was so much running around to do! By the time Josiah arrived, Emma was up and already starting to fill her bucket with sand :)

What an unexpectedly large beach party we had! :) Turns out most of hubbies could come, and Emma's uncle and grandparents too! Re nao is the best way to describe it! There was sand digging, bucket filling, sand mound making, sea shell collecting, kite flying, dog watching, and snack eating to do! Seriously, who said kids are free?

Anya's Turns One

Anya celebrated her first birthday with a big bang at Scrumptious Cafe.  We got there a little late and the other kids had already started playing at the play area attached to the cafe.  It's equipped with a trampoline, a rock wall, and a modest collection of toys and books. 

Anya had the most gorgeous cake in the classic shape of a number 1.  It was really one of the prettiest cakes I've ever seen and suited the occasion to a T!  There were girlish butterflies, sweet flowers, and other pretty designs.  Made cutting the cake seem a bit of a pity, but after tasting it, yum!  Who cared about the design anymore :)   

I think my favourite part of the party was watching the three cousins interact.  It's always hilarious to see the results of what happens when we put the three of them together.  But it was also sweet, because it had been a long time since all three were in the same place at the same time.  I think the last time was at Asher's birthday. 

Anyway, time really flies.  It really doesn't seem so long ago that Anya was born.  I guess I forget that as Asher grows, so do the other babies around him :) 

Well, I'm sure she had a great time on her birthday.  With lots of cake, lots of friends, and lots of love, what's not to enjoy? :) 

Gimme, gimme, it looks yummy! :)

Mmmm...yum!  It is great!

More, more!

Asher giving his dear cousin a birthday 'blessing' :)