Base Camp Kids is much more than your average indoor play centre – it’s wonderfully clean, the food on offer is healthy and the party rooms (also used for holiday programs) are ace.

When: Monday – Friday 9am – 5.30pm, Saturday 9am – 5pm and Sunday 10am – 5pm, closed public holidays

Where:  Level 1, Home HQ, 372-394 Whitehorse Rd, NUNAWADING

Cost:  Entry cost range from $10 – $13 (adults free), with options to purchase passes and group bookings.  For all the details click here.

Cafe snacks

Cafe snacks

Magazine rack

Set up for party food

Party food

Crazy Lab coats

You may have noticed I am not a huge fan of indoor play centres – but Base Camp Kids really impressed me.  I thought I would make a list of all the things that stood out.

1. The play equipment is well maintained and clean.
2. The toilets were clean (and new) and there are baby change facilities
3. The food is healthy and prepared on site – there is no hot chip smell and the cafe was spotlessly clean, even at the end of a busy Sunday
4. The staff looked genuinely happy to be there – and there were plenty of them
5. There is a locked gate to get in and out of – and even if a mini Houdini did manage to slip out, they are on the first floor of a shopping centre, so literally a mile away from any road
6. There is a play zone for the under 5’s as well as the big three storey structure for the 4+ crowd.  Both areas have plenty to explore and are easily viewed from any spot within the table area located in the middle (well the internal part of the biggest structure can’t be viewed from the tables – but there are adult sized passageways to access the innermost sanctums, so unless your kids get stuck right up the top you don’t have to immediately default to shoes off and crawling to find your offspring)
7. Added to the playground equipment is the activity rooms – which offer during term workshops, holiday programs and parties
8. Once a month Base Camp Kids run an event called, “Date Night” where parents are fed a three-course dinner in the cafe area (which is made over with linen table cloths) while the kids have dinner and watch movies in the workshop area – a bit like a holiday kids club, without the holiday bit (genius)
9. There are three themed rooms for the workshops, holiday programs and parties: baking, art and craft, and science.  All three look like great fun and they all follow a similar formula of: workshop, play time in the playground area and then everyone back for party food
10. As far as play centres go the decor was pleasant – natural (and faux natural) materials were used throughout, giving it the aesthetic of a giant cubby house

When the kids and I arrived at Base Camp Kids we met with one of the owners, Lelen.  About 0.2seconds later the kids kicked off their shoes and disappeared into the playground while I was taken on a bit of a tour.  Lelen came across as a super energetic and focused woman, and she’s clearly pushing the envelope when it comes to reimagining the indoor play centre.  I was quite excited by the concept of date night with the kids – what an awesome idea (and can someone please do this closer to my home!).