We've all felt this way at one time or another: It's January or February, it's cold and the kids have early dismissal (oh, the horror!). What are we going to do with them on a Friday from noon until...???? My friend and I found ourselves in that exact situation last week and it seemed like the perfect opportunity to check out a new play space in Fairfax called Jolly Yolly Kids. Upon checking out their website, I noticed that they have activities appropriate for ages 0 - 13. This seemed like a total win for me, with my own children being 3, 6 and 9 and each of them bringing a similar age friend.
We made a quick pitstop at Panera on our way towards Jolly Yolly and arrived at the facility around 1:15pm. I had called ahead and the manager mentioned there was a field trip heading there that afternoon but parking was easy and I didn't find the place too crowded when we arrived. We found a few seats at the counter area and had a good view of all of the kids playing.
So once the two of us moms sat down, we never got up! Herein lies the great part about Jolly Yolly Kids. Unless your kids are itty bitty and fresh walkers, there is a sense of full independence for kids who are roughly 3 and up to roam freely and play in all of the different areas. And there are many of them! There is a 0-2 area that is pretty heavily monitored so when my 3 year old would sneak in she'd be caught and asked to leave. Jolly Yolly employees are on it! There is another section for toddler ages, but the big kids were allowed to use that space too. Then there is the GIANT, PADDED, MULTI STORY play area for ages 3 -13. There are many different sections- mirrors, small zip line, slides, monkey bars - so even though you are mixing big kids and little kids there wasn't too much rough play around littles which has been a concern for me in other play areas. There is also a ball pit and a very cool electric floor mat that lights up in different colors. All easily accessible and 100% child friendly.
After THREE HOURS of playing, we basically had to pull all 6 of the kids out of there. We probably wouldn't have left but we had sporting events to get to that night and needed to eat dinner! By the time 4:30 rolled around the only thing the kids were asking us for was more time to play and water, because they were all sweating from running around and having a blast!
Overall, we had a perfect afternoon at Jolly Yolly Kids. The owner, Karen, and the employees were attentive, responsible and friendly to both the kids and the adults. We will definitely be heading out there again but next time we won't plan to have anything to do afterwards, just in case the kids want to stay until bedtime!
Here's a few other things to know before going in:
- Admission is between $11 - $15 and there are sibling discounts.
- The bathroom is pretty far down the hall so be sure to go/change diapers before you head in.
- Water, snacks and drinks are for sale, coffee is free!
- Stroller parking is outside by the elevator, you cannot bring a stroller into the play area.
- Socks are a must, as is filling out the waiver before heading in.
- Yes, they do birthday parties!
Thanks Jolly Yolly Kids for a great day!!
