When we moved to the area, I was amazed at all of the indoor play area options as I hadn't seen anything like it before. I am so thankful for those places on rainy days when my 17 month old can't sit still and is over running laps around the house. We've slowly been checking places off of the list, but hope to visit all of them soon.
1. The Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History
Our number one favorite place to go is the The Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History. Honestly, the first time someone told me I needed to get a membership to the train museum for my one year old, I probably looked at them a little crazy. That membership has already paid for itself! There is a lovely education center located in the back of the museum. On Thursdays, it is home to Mommy and Me story time which is included in the cost of your ticket or membership. They read books, do crafts, and have mini hands on activities set up. On any normal operating day, there is a tots room with a soft play train that they can climb on, books, mini train sets, and a toy kitchen set up in a "rail car". The larger room holds several wooden trains and several interactive exhibits, including a train driving simulation.
2. Kids Empire
The first time we visited Kids Empire, I was a little nervous. I took our daughter by myself on a Saturday morning and imagined large crowds with big kids that would be running my little, fearless toddler over. This was by far not my experience. There were many children in the building as well as some birthday parties, but the play area is so large that we had plenty of breathing room. When you walk in, you're given a basket to put your shoes in and take with you instead of leaving them in a cubicle out of sight. The toddler play area is well separated from the big kid area and has a large ball pit, slide, and climbing structure. The big kid area had some electric ride on cars and some very large slides. This would be an excellent place for you if you have multiple children at different stages.
3. Wiggle Giggle
How could you not love a place with a name like Wiggle Giggle? Similar to Kids Empire, this indoor play space has well separated big kid and little kid spaces. The setup makes it easy to see the majority of the play room while sitting at the tables. Our favorite part? The bubble room! Throughout the day, the staff announces that it's time for bubbles and all the kids run over for a bubble party. What I loved most about bubble time as a mom, is that the staff used it to do a quick clean, disinfect, and reorganize time in the soft play area while the kids weren't there. I felt like the staff was very attentive the entire time we were there, with someone out monitoring for safe play.
4. The Georgia Aquarium
I hate driving into Atlanta, but I will do it at least once a month for the Georgia Aquarium. I'll admit that this one may be just as much for me as for my toddler. We can both sit in front of the giant viewing window and stare at whale sharks and turtles all day long. While the cost of entry is steep, the membership has been well worth the number of hours we've spent in the aquarium. There are also programs through your local library to check out a discounted aquarium day pass if cost is a prohibiting factor for you.
5. Story Time at Cobb Libraries
The library system in Cobb County is such an amazing resource. There seems to always be some program going at every location for every age group. Each branch hosts story time on different days throughout the year with many including music and movement. I've also seen play spaces for littles as well as spaces for teens. Also lookout for craft times, play cafés, and busy bag days!
