Check out Bobbi’s World’s indoor play space at its Grand Opening, Sunday, June 9.
Rainy day? Play date fell through? Just need to tucker the little ones out? Any parent in town will tell you: Morgantown has never had enough fun and stimulating indoor activities for young kids.
Bobbi’s World: Party and Play Zone is ending that situation and launching a new era of happy kids and parents. “It’s truly the first of its kind in the area, Morgantown’s first indoor playground,” says owner Bobbi Straface. Also the owner of Storybook Daycare for the past decade and a parent herself, Straface knows what kids and parents need. “I have a 4- and a 5-year-old—I’m always looking for stuff to do, especially when it rains and in the colder months. This is another option for families in our area.”
In 3,000 square feet of multi-color fun—10 times the typical size of a certain fast-food chain’s indoor play places—kids at Bobbi’s World can climb and crawl all over play structures, wade through a ball pit, and race friends on side-by-side wave slides. They can jostle against gently-swinging “punching bags,” shoot soft projectiles with air guns, stack oversize foam shapes, and whizz down a zipline.
When they need a break from the physical fun, kids can head to the arcade to play air hockey, try virtual sports like bowling or golf, and target cartoon zombies with virtual Nerf darts. And when they get hungry, there’s a snack bar with all of the basics: hot dogs and corn dogs, soft pretzels, nachos and cheese, slushies, chips, and candy. Parents who prefer natural ingredients will find Outshine frozen fruit bars on the menu. And parents who are managing food sensitivities are welcome to bring appropriate snacks for their children.
You’re probably already thinking “But how clean is it?” and Straface has the answer. “Every single day, the structure is vacuumed and wiped down with cleaner and a towel—the cleaner is just soap and water, nothing chemical. The balls in the ball pit are sprayed and wiped, too. The floor is a foam flooring, and it’s vacuumed and hand-mopped every day.” Then, every Monday, the whole place gets a deep clean, including taking all of the balls out of the ball pit and cleaning underneath. “Some of the most positive feedback we’ve received is how clean the facility is.”
Straface opened quietly in April, and she’s finding it to be just as much fun as she imagined. “I love it. I love it. Obviously I like kids, considering what I’ve done for the last 10 and a half years now. I just like seeing kids have that much fun. And you also have the parents running round and getting up on the equipment—they have as much fun as the kids!”
Bobbi’s World is open five days a week:
Wednesday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Thursday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
Friday, 10 a.m.–7 p.m.
Saturday, 10 a.m.–8 p.m.
Sunday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
From 10 a.m. to noon, kids 5 and under have the run of the playground. The rest of the time, a separate toddler space keeps the little ones among friends of their own size. There’s no specific age limit—kids’ interests naturally move to other activities as they get into their teens, Straface says.
Admission is $14 for one hour and $20 for two, with several discount deals: 18 months and under play for free Thursdays 10 a.m. to noon, three or more children in a family get 10% off, and, on Wednesdays, families pay for one hour and play all day.
This Sunday, June 9, noon to 4 p.m., head over to Bobbi’s World’s Grand Opening for face painting, cupcakes, a balloon twister, open play, and more—tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the door.
READ MORE ARTICLES FROM MORGANTOWN LOWDOWN