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Bright Child indoor playground comes to Conejo Valley
A new indoor playground has opened in Oak Park. Bright Child, which has delighted Santa Monica children and parents for eight years, opened a second facility on Lindero Canyon Road in Oak Park in mid-March. Gene Matra, Bright Child’s Santa Monica general manager, said Oak Park was chosen as the second site because of the area’s demographics. "There are lots of families (in Oak Park), lots of involved families," she said of the bedroom community. Bright Child’s triple-decker climbing apparatus combines slides and obstacle courses with equipment for bouncing and crawling. The wow factor for many youngsters is the upper-level ball blaster where children can shoot foam balls at their parents, siblings, friends and even Bright Child employees. Children then feed the balls into a vacuum that sucks them back up to the highest level. Eventually a hatch opens, raining balls upon the patrons below. Ball blasting aside, the facility offers many other activities for children. The upper level jet plane allows children plenty of pretend play with working steering wheels and an array of twisting, turning gadgets. Several levels of basketball accommodate every age (generally 10 years and younger). There’s also a putting green, a small arcade area with traditional games such as skee-ball, air hockey, Ms. Pac-Man, rides and prize machines. Three keyboards, one set at a lower level for toddlers, are perfect for the musically inclined, and the art station offers respite from all the physical activity. A shoe-free zone, Bright Child is also a safety zone. Removing shoes protects crawling, finger-sucking children from outdoor germs and addresses safety concerns of parents. Shoes are put in a bin marked with a number. Parents and children wear wristbands with that number along with the number of people in their party. The play area is secured because patrons enter the play area through a locked door. When parents and children are ready to leave, Bright Child employees check the wristbands of parents and children before "buzzing" them out. Matra called the Bright Child approach to safety an added "layer of watchfulness." Kristina Martinez, Oak Park general manager, said, "Bright Child is a lot more hands-on than Chuck E. Cheese’s. What sets us apart is that we have people who are actually in the trenches with the kids." Adam Chambers, Bright Child’s resident birthday party leader and host, is among the 25 employees who rotate into the playground to interact with the youngsters. "I play on a playground all day," Chambers said. "It’s impossible to have a bad day when there are 100 kids smiling." Danny Jordan, assistant manager and class coordinator, said that Bright Child is "a bright spot in a world that doesn’t always have bright spots." Although parent participation is encouraged at Bright Child, parents are welcome to take a break and relax at the café, which features salads, burgers and other refreshments. Bright Child also offers an array of Parent and Me classes. The classes offer mini obstacle courses, puzzle play, art, music, soccer, basketball, singing, stretching, and other kid-friendly activities. Jamie Riese, a Westside entrepreneur, founded Bright Child. Riese entered the market by starting a kid’s club in Malibu, which eventually moved to Fred Segal’s department store. Thousand Oaks resident Jenna Shepard said, "I’m glad that they opened a Bright Child out in the Valley. It has something for every age, and it’s fun for mom, too." Audrey Shepard, 5, said, "I like it. It’s really cool." Nathaniel Driggs, 7, said, "I think it’s a good place and a good price . . . I liked the games and the ball blaster." The cost for two hours of play at Bright Child is $9.75 per child; parents are free. For details on birthday parties, Parent and Me classes or other activities, call (818) 338-8888. |
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