The Playroom

What: The Playroom, an indoor play area

Where: 14392 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks 91423 (818)784-7529

When: Monday - Friday 10-6, but closes some Tuesdays at 4:30

Who: Toddlers through Pre-school

Mama of L.A. Review:
It is a rainy day and my toddler gets very anxious to get out of the house and run around. I just happened to Google "indoor playground" and "The Playroom" popped up. I was actually a little skeptical about this. I pictured snot hanging from the corners of the room and kids screaming in an enclosed area. Anyway, I got over my premonitions and decided to give it a try.

Located on the second level of a strip mall, the underground parking is a bit annoying. Once you get over that though, and realize that the swarms of babies in the elevator are actually going to a "first baby" class at a different location, you are on your way to The Playroom. Once inside, you take off your shoes and pay a pretty hefty fee of $9 for the day. They do have other pass options, however, that bring the cost down to $6 when you buy in bulk.

Once exploring the not so large playroom, they pack a lot of really fun toys and elements in for the kids. About 15 push toys for little ones, short basketball hoops, a play kitchen, 2 mini roller coasters (not electric, just cars on a long slide), plenty of large balls, a ball pit, jungle gym with a surprisingly fast slide that my daughter would have flown off of if I didn't catch her, and the best part of all, a large jump house. I loved this because I am always too nervous to put my daughter in the ones with the older kids and here, the kids are about 4 and under, and most of the time she had it to herself. She loved the chance to practice her jumping skills in a safe place.

The flow of The Playroom works well. The attendant was always walking around putting toys into there places and making sure kids could run around easily. One complaint is that there was a child who wasn't being supervised and of course, as a result, getting away with bullying other kids. They do have a rule that every child has to be with adult supervision at all times, but this one got away with it and caused a few tears.

Overall, The Playroom is a friendly place to go on rainy days that lets little ones blow off steam and have a lot of fun.

Extra Tips: There are a few tables if you want to bring lunch and eat it there. Go expecting to play with your kids the whole time, a closed in area means more close collisions that can be avoided. If you can find street parking, use it.