Mommy on a Mission
Expat, Mom, gym rat and pinterest junky. Momming it up and trying to keep my sanity.
Monkey Town: Valkenswaard
I am on a constant hunt to find new indoor places to take the kids. I love living in The Netherlands but I find the winters very difficult to handle, especially now that I have kids. It’s so difficult to keep my two very active monkeys busy and entertained through what always feels like a never ending chain of cold and dreary days. This is why we love finding new indoor play places. The latest indoor play place we checked out was Monkey Town: Valkenswaard. Monkey Town has earned a spot as our second favourite indoor play place.
Monkey Town is one open room with 2 play structures. One is for big kids and one is for little kids (the under 4 crowd). There are lots of tables in the open space at the center of the room and around one side.
The little kid area is THE BEST I have ever seen. It’s just as fun as the bigs kids but everything is smaller. There is a trampoline, a tube slide, roller slide, a ball pit and foam blocks. Its pretty perfect. There is only one entrance/exit and the walls are high enough that kids can’t easily climb out. Trust me, this is a huge bonus! If you can get a table just next to the entrance your little can safely play while you sit and you won’t have to worry about them escaping into an area that is to much for them.
This big kids area is pretty great as well. I was surprised by how big it is and how much there is to do inside!
Specifically:
Giant blocks at the bottom and a place to play soccer at the top! Seriously cool!
Trampolines!
My extremely adventurous 2 year old was able to navigate the big kid area ( with the help of her older brother and his friends) but she did get stuck once and I had to go in and rescue her. There was nothing inside that she could hurt herself on so I wasn’t worried, she just couldn’t find her way out.
And the food was surprisingly good. They had all the basic fried snack stuff so I wasn’t really expecting much as far as the “adult food” goes but I was pleasantly surprised. I ordered the “gezond” sandwich because it is always a safe option at these places. It always has sliced cheese and ham as well as some veggies and a hard boiled egg (so its nearly impossible to mess up). I ended up with a really nice sandwich! I will be more adventurous next time.
There are a few things that make Monkey Town stand out for me:
- The place was amazingly clean. I was amazed. I didn’t think my kids would catch the plague from the ball pit (if you have been to as many indoor places as I have you understand).
- They had a little dance party at one point during the day. They made an announcement and turned on kids music and the staff led everyone in a dance. It was so sweet. It only lasted through 2 songs.
- A woman came around twice during the day with a tray full of free cookies for the kids.
- There were all kinds of little bikes for the kids to ride. They ranged from little plastic 4 wheel numbers for the littlest kids to plastic motorcycles and such for the bigger kids.
- The staff comes around and collects dirty dishes. Love this!!!
- On the way out my kids were given bubbles. It was so very exciting for them!
- There is a train ride. On this day they only operated it twice. They made an announcement and all the kids shrieked and lined up to ride it.
And just in case the kids get bored of all this, there was a little gym. Seriously, tiny workout equipment that the kids were fascinated with. I little treadmill? Yes, please take my money and put it one my living room!
So yes, Monkey Town: Valkensward is pretty awesome! On the day we went we were there from 10:30 till 5:30 (yes you read that right). The kids had a blast and so did I. It is open enough that I could sit and let the kids play and I was still able to keep an eye on them. It was also surprisingly quiet. All the tables were full so it was very busy but it didn’t feel that way. I could have a conversation with my mommy friend easily and we didn’t have to scream. We will go back!
Some Practical Information:
- This is a link to their website: Monkey Town: Valkensward
- This is their address: Pastoor Heerkensdreef 155552 BG Valkenswaard
- Kids cost 7 Euros each and adults are free
- The have a discount for kids under 4. Monday through Friday (excluding school holidays) little kids can go in the morning (till 11:30) for 4.50
- They are open from 9:00-6:00 weekdays and 10:00-6:00 weekends. They are closed on holidays so if you are doubt check the website
- You can not bring your own food.
- There is a free parking lot across the street.
- To order food you go to the counter and order and they give you a buzzer. You go collect your food from the counter.
- Monkey Town is in a big building. On the other side is a gym. My GPS said that “I had reached my destination” and all I saw was a gym. This really threw me off!
Looking for more indoor play places?
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