Tucked away in the northwestern corner of Indiana, there is a wonderful play place called Bellaboo's. It's designed specifically for kids aged 9 and younger to explore, play, and discover. One of my very favorite things about Bellaboo's is that all of the play areas are sized perfectly for the kids. So much of the time kids have to deal with living in a world that is too big for them. Everything at Bellaboo's is just right.
We had a chance during spring break to take my Sarah and niece, Aly, to Bellaboo's for the afternoon. These girls wore us out. We were there over four hours. The girls ability and endurance to play literally outlasted mine and Jon's endurance to help and to watch them enjoy themselves. The grown-ups called uncle.
Our girls favorite spaces were the Dino Dig (pictured above) and the Jungle Gym. We also spent a considerable amount of time in the Pretend Village and the Art Studio. I'm not sure exactly how they count the different areas since some of them can be divided into smaller areas, but there are over 10 different areas for kids to learn while they are playing. Most of the areas are self directed, but there's even a Children's Cooking area where the kids gather to learn about cooking and good nutrition. This area especially is such a great example of exceptional design.
The Bellaboo's Staff stands in the sunken kitchen area (complete with all the appliances and storage facilities we all wish we had in our own kitchens). Meanwhile the kids are all seated on these adorable kid size seats. The whole set up makes serving the kids, interacting with them, and cleaning up simple and fun.
I really can't tell you enough about how much fun the girls had on our Bellaboo's adventure. Sarah even fell asleep on the way home and I can't remember the last time that happened.
I hope you'll enter to win your own family 4-pack of tickets to Bellaboo's Discovery Center. Our tickets were graciously provided by Bellaboo's so we could check it out and let you know how much we loved it! You can check out their website to get an idea of where they're located in the Lake County Parks System.
They have a whole week's worth of activities planned for Earth Week April 21-27th. They're also hosting a Northwest Indiana Preschool Fair this Thursday April 24th from 5:30-7:30pm. If you're in the northwest Indiana area, you might want to seriously consider checking out the registrations for summer camps at Bellaboo's. Your kids will have great adventures every day!
The giveaway will run now until April 27th. We'll notify the winner on April 28th (and update this post to reflect the winner as well). I surely hope you'll enter and let us know how much fun you have when you visit!
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