So they’re up and active! Hurrah, my child has figured out how to get from A to B. Gone are the days of being able to safely leave the room for 5 minutes while they roll around happily on a play mat. Gone are the days where you can confine them to an indoor prison, ahem…I mean playpen, with a few soft toys while you get your housework done. It might be time for a kids indoor playground.
The Wiggles and Barney just aren’t cutting it anymore for entertainment and they’ve figured out how their legs work. Now it’s time for games like “find the toddler” and “who left the stair gate open?” and “why is my freshly hung up laundry in the dust bin?”
The time has finally come to sacrifice that clean, bright, neutral lounge room corner, complete with pot plant, and install a large, plastic explosion of easy-wipe primary color construct…yep, the toddler years are here!
Kids Indoor Playground
Before you invest in the new, mismatched addition to your living room furniture suite to keep your newly active toddler entertained and away from the kitchen cabinets, there’s a few things to keep in mind to make sure they stay safe and your mind stays at ease.
Firstly, take note of the size of the product once assembled. What might look like a neat little toy in a giant department store or online could end up swallowing up your entire living room floor space whole once assembled in more domestic sized surroundings. Guessing works sometimes but why not just grab the measuring tape and take a few quick measurements to save a lot of potential hassle later.
Secondly, note the quality of the product and whether it comes from a good manufacturer. This is where online reviews and FAQs come in handy and we’ll take a look shortly at a few of our favorite kids indoor playgrounds.
Finally, longevity…pick a product that not only will last for at least a year but that you think your kids will stay interested in for more than a couple of weeks. We find kids indoor playgrounds that involve a bit of climbing and separate “indoor / outdoor” areas usually keep them entertained for a bit longer and let their imaginations run wild…and they like having somewhere to hide if they’re a bit grumpy with the grown ups!
So let’s take a look at some of our favourite kids indoor playgrounds out there…
ECR4Kids Buccaneer Boat with Pirate Flag
[easyazon_image align=”center” height=”500″ identifier=”B005I2GCXY” locale=”US” src=”https://activeplaytime.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/41KPFsXsKKL.jpg” tag=”activeplaytime-20″ width=”377″]Amazon Rated: 4.5 Stars
Age Range: 2 to 6 years
Dimensions: 30.7 x 54.3 x 56.7 inches
Is Assembly Required: Yes, but it’s not too complicated
Product weight: 36 lbs
About the ECR4Kids Buccaneer Boat with Pirate Flag:
This kid’s buccaneer boat is sure to grab their attention with its bright colours, indoor cabin and moulded details of a pirate flag, parrot and anchor. It even has stairs to climb aboard the deck and a moveable wheel at the helm so they can let their imaginations run wild as they head out to sea on a great living room adventure.
This kids indoor playground is constructed from weather resistant plastic allowing it to be used both indoors and outdoors. As it is easy to assemble and disassemble it can easily be moved from living room to garden, meaning its sure to get maximum use from your little monkeys through all seasons.
The Good Bits:
- Easy assembly. Very easy in fact. This kids indoor playground can be unpacked and slotted together in anything from 15 minutes to half an hour. Not bad for the amount of fun your little ones will get out of it.
- Sturdy and well made: There was no shaking, rocking or tipping with this product when my two (5 and 3 years) were playing on it together. That said, a few of the reviews have said that it can take 3 kids at a time but no more.
- Plenty of places to crawl and climb: My 3 year old loves crawling inside the cabin and climbing the stairs to the deck. Plenty of encouragement from this product to practice their new found mobility skills and build up strength and muscle co-ordination.
- If they start to get bored the inside cabin is great for throwing a few balls in and turning it into a ball pit…and what kid doesn’t love a ball pit! Even better, throw a blanket over the top and turn it into a fortress!
The Bad Bits:
- Smaller than expected: While I love the product and my kids think it’s awesome, it is just a teensy tiny bit smaller than I was expecting, which probably isn’t a bad thing given the size of my living room. We still love it, though we think our 5 year old will have outgrown it in a few months…but that’s when it’s time to turn it into a ball pit!
- The sides are quite low on the deck area, allowing a possible fall hazard for a climbing toddler. However, it’s not very high if they do fall and if you put down a soft play mat around the edges it should resolve the problem.
- Not great for multiple kids so, if you’re having a birthday party, you may need to form a queuing system (if it’s possible to get 2 year olds to form a queue!). I’d say 3 kids could play on it comfortably together.
What the Reviews Say:
Majority 5 star reviews (75%) out of 119 reviews in total, mainly complimenting this kids indoor playground on how sturdy and high quality it is. Reviews consistently say that it is very, very easy to assemble and should take no longer than 30 minutes for an adult to put together with no extra assembly tools necessary.
There seem to be a few negative reviews regarding the quality of the included flag and mast, stating that these seem to be flimsier than the rest of the boat and several reviews have stated that they seem to come unattached quite easily.
[easyazon_cta align=”center” identifier=”B005I2GCXY” key=”small-light” locale=”US” tag=”activeplaytime-20″]What we Say:
This is a great little starter toy for toddlers who are recently on the move. It encourages climbing, exploring, crawling and helps littlies build their strength, muscle co-ordination, sense of balance and, of course, their imaginations. I’d say it’s more for the younger end of their suggested age range of 2 to 6 but if your little monkey is at this younger stage then it’s the perfect little toy to keep them entertained and boost their confidence and you should get a few years out of it before they move on to bigger and better adventures.
We found the product sturdy, well made and looks really cool with all the bright colors. It’s easy to keep clean and tidy up any spills or food that the pirates take on their adventures and, although we could see that the flag was perhaps not as robust as the body of the ship, we had no problems with breakages.
Definitely recommend it for 2 to 4 year old!
Little Tikes 1,2,3 Climber, See Saw and Slide
[easyazon_image align=”center” height=”444″ identifier=”B00FGS0BBO” locale=”US” src=”https://activeplaytime.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/41Zk8MXSh6L.jpg” tag=”activeplaytime-20″ width=”500″]Amazon Rated: 3.5 Stars
Age Range: 2 to 6 Years
Dimensions: 65.11 x 72 x 59 inches
Is Assembly Required: Yes
Product weight: 52.1 lbs
Maximum Weight: 60 lbs
About the Little Tikes 1,2,3 Climber, See Saw and Slide:
This kids indoor playground is a cute little woodland style climbing frame that includes a see-saw at one end, a slide at the other and even a crawl through tunnel with a peek-a-boo hole to encourage their skills of exploration. Made with nice woodland colors and great for indoor and outdoor use, it really does get their little imaginations going with molded features to suggest leaves and waterfalls as they climb, slide and explore the various features.
The Good Bits:
- Lots of features: The multiple features of this kids indoor playground means it keeps kids interested for a long time
- Suitable for both indoor and outdoor use, although assembly and disassembly is a bit awkward (to put it politely) so I wouldn’t be moving it very often!
- See saw can be left off if space is limited indoors or if you just don’t like see-saws!
The Bad Bits:
- Difficult assembly: Assembling this was quite awkward and, even though all correct parts were included on delivery, we found some attachments didn’t fit together correctly and needed a bit of extra persuasion.
- The slide seemed a bit flimsy and of poorer quality than the rest of the structure. While we’ve had no issues with it and it works fine it would be good to see a slightly sturdier slide attachment to keep kiddies safe.
What the Reviews Say:
Very mixed reviews on this one. Most buyers seemed happy that their kids liked the product. However, several reviews stated that parts were missing on delivery or pieces didn’t fit together well during assembly. Several reviewers stated that they found the slide and see-saw a bit flimsier than what they were expecting and were not happy with this.
Positive reviews said this kids indoor playground was a good size, durable and that their kids loved it.
[easyazon_cta align=”center” identifier=”B00FGS0BBO” key=”small-light” locale=”US” tag=”activeplaytime-20″]What We Say:
As we said the reviews are mixed on this one but here’s what we think. The product, once assembled, is great and the kids love it. Plenty of features to keep them interested. However, the slide and see-saw did seem a bit more lightweight than the rest of the climber and would suggest no more than 2 kids on it at a time. Suggested age range is 2 to 6 but we’d say 18 months to 5 years is probably more appropriate. Give this a thumbs up for the smaller kids although not our favorite product.
Little Tikes Activity Garden Baby Playset
[easyazon_image align=”center” height=”277″ identifier=”B00C2P6VWW” locale=”US” src=”https://activeplaytime.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/41OOk7vIpuL.jpg” tag=”activeplaytime-20″ width=”500″]Amazon Rated: 4.5 Stars
Age Range: 6 months to 3 years
Dimensions: 10 x 7.5 x 2.5 inches
Is Assembly Required: Yes, but no tools required
Product weight: 16.1 lbs
About the Little Tikes Activity Garden Baby Playset
Love love love this kids indoor playground! Bright colors, lots going on and, for what you get, an amazing price at only $53.94 currently on Amazon. Suitable for both indoors and outdoors. You can watch your little monkey from as young as 6 months develop their motor skills, hand eye co-ordination, muscle strength, problem-solving abilities…the list is endless. This kids indoor playground has so many features. It will keep your kid entertained in a safe and comforting environment until they’re ready to explore bigger adventures.
Additional features include a take along play panel, including bead tumbler, spinner, clicking bugs and song player to get their brains working. Also included is a Tap-a-Tune piano, a shape sorter mailbox, a telescope and several other features to encourage mental stimulation.
If they’re in more of a crawling and exploring mood and feel like being on the move its got a crawl through archway with open and close windows to keep bubs occupied. And if that’s not enough this kids indoor playground can be adjusted with relative ease into a two-sided play centre and the playpanel can be adjusted to sit horizontally for sitting play when monkey (and grown up) get tired.
The Good Bits:
- Pretty easy to assemble, even with one adult. Put aside an hour or so and hope there’s no missing pieces.
- Sturdy: We found it pretty sturdy for indoor use if only one child at a time is using it.
- Silent: There are pianos and songs and noisy bits but the batteries can be removed, still leaving a fully functional and lovely silent toy if that’s what you prefer! 😉
- Lovely bright colours. Watch out though, the red seemed more of a neon pink in ours so if you’re trying to co-ordinate with the rest of the house you might find it a bother. Although toys are meant to be co-ordinated right?!
- Lots going on to entertain your little crawler. You might even be able to grab a cup of coffee while they explore the various features.
The Bad Bits:
- Bit unstable in open configuraton: We’ve had no tipping over incidences in our experience. However, in the open configuration it does seem a bit wobbly and unstable. If you’re not able to fully 100% supervise bubs while they play (ie if you’re a couple of feet away doing some housework) I’d suggest leaving it in the closed, box-like configuration which is very stable.
- Smaller than expected: My kids loved it but, at 3 and 5, it was a bit of stretch to allow them on it. This is definitely for kids just learning to crawl, stand and try out some assisted walking. I’d say once they’re passed 18 months it would get pretty small pretty quickly.
- One kid at a time: Definitely this would only fit one child at a time on it so not great for entertaining the masses.
What the Reviews Say:
Mixed reviews on this one but mainly good, describing the product as good quality and great for kids aged 6 months to 18 months to encourage standing and stability in younger kids. General opinion seems to be it is too small for kids age 2 years and over.
Regarding the sturdiness of the product, there seems to be very mixed reviews with some saying the product is very sturdy and well made (when in closed position). With others saying they found it very flimsy and easy to topple. Generally the reviews say that, in the open configuration, it seems a bit unstable.
[easyazon_cta align=”center” identifier=”B00C2P6VWW” key=”small-light” locale=”US” tag=”activeplaytime-20″]What We Say:
We like the product and liked the various features for kids to enjoy. However, I’d have to agree with the reviews regarding the suggested age range. Might be a bit of squeeze for a 3 year old to play on it but great for 6 to 18 months. As it’s quite small restricted in age range it wouldn’t be our first choice if there’s kids of varying ages in the house.
However, if it is your first toddler they’ll have a great time playing on it by themselves. As it’s so small you might even get to sit down for a few minutes while you play alongside your little cherub.
Give this one 3.5 Stars due to small age range but heaps of fun all the same!
Step2 Naturally Playful Lookout Treehouse
[easyazon_image align=”center” height=”461″ identifier=”B000QF7KMK” locale=”US” src=”https://activeplaytime.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/516IRp4mdrL.jpg” tag=”activeplaytime-20″ width=”500″]Amazon Rated: 4.5 Stars
Age Range: 18 months to 5 years
Dimensions: 25 x 66.5 x 57.5 inches
Is Assembly Required: Yes
Product weight: 39.7 lbs
Maximum Weight: 50lbs
About the Step2 Naturally Playful Lookout Treehouse:
This cool little kids indoor playground is a tree house design consisting of large, easy to climb steps. A fun slide and a deck with a roofed area for kids to hang out in (or hide their sandwiches!) It is suitable for both indoor and outdoor use and fits nicely into a standard lounge room. With nice eye-catching colors and a simple, sturdy design it’s a great way to keep your toddler entertained.
The Good Bits:
- Very easy assembly. I’d say no more than 30 minutes or so and your little monkey will be happily climbing away.
- We found the steps a good large size and easy for our 3 year old to climb.
- Felt sturdy and strong with up to three kids on it at one point.
- Fits neatly in lounge room. By this I mean you can still see it and it obviously doesn’t match the furniture. It’s not as intrusive as other kids indoor playgrounds.
The Bad Bits:
- This product is recommended for kids aged 18 months to 5 years. I think this is a little generous as our 3 year old looked like she’d get a few more months out of it. Our 5 year old looked way too big for it.
- The roof on the deck area is quite low. This brings in a height restriction for slightly older toddlers, 2 and a half and up. It’s possible to remove the roof and be left with a fully stable structure so this solves the problem. However, it also takes away the cool roof area and you’re just left with a slide then.
- The steps are easy to climb for 2 and a half to 3 year olds. But they’re possibly a bit steep for an 18 month old just learning how to use their little legs.
What the Reviews Say:
With over 90% 4 and 5 Star reviews it seems to be a pretty popular item. Most buyers seemed happy with the quality and sturdiness of this kids indoor playground. However, there seemed to be several reviewers unhappy with the low level of the roof and also suggesting that the slide is too short.
Also a few issues with parts missing on delivery but again, no issue with the product itself.
[easyazon_cta align=”center” identifier=”B000QF7KMK” key=”small-light” locale=”US” tag=”activeplaytime-20″]What We Say:
Not our Number 1 choice but pretty cool all the same. While it doesn’t have a lot of the bells and whistles of some other kids indoor playground options. It’s a nice simple design with very little that can go wrong. It will keep a kid from 18 months to about 2 and a half years happy for a few hours. It will also give them a chance to explore their climbing skills and be king of the castle for a while.
7 out of 10 for this one as the roof is quite low, meaning taller kids can’t get as much fun out of it.
Sarahs top pick for the best kids indoor playground:
After all that product testing we had two tired monkeys. We all agreed our top pick was the Buccaneer boat with Pirate flag. What can I say, kids love to be pirates! It’s simple, effective and it works! Kids love using their imagination and exploring the high seas. Even your 5 year old will have a bit of fun on it!
