As summer was winding down, we visited two of Beijing’s iconic indoor play zones: Fundazzle and Family Box. As we hit both in the same week, I thought it might be useful to have a side by comparison of their strengths and weaknesses.
|
Fundazzle
|
Family Box
|
|
|
Free Wi-Fi
|
No
|
Yes
|
|
Food and beverages
|
Processed snacks and bottled drinks
|
Fresh -aked goods from Tous les Jours, brewed tea and coffee, fresh-squeezed juice, fresh fruit, and free water
|
|
Multi-level climbing area
|
Yes
|
Yes – seems better thought-out and safer
|
|
Toddler area
|
Yes – larger of the two
|
Yes
|
|
Ball pit
|
Yes – Beijing’s biggest, but no adults allowed
|
Yes, two small ones for different ages
|
|
Sandbox
|
Yes, but costs RMB 15 extra
|
Yes
|
|
Slides
|
Yes
|
Yes, massive ones
|
|
Kids’ play grocery store
|
No
|
Yes
|
|
Water play zone
|
No
|
Yes, but half the features were not functioning properly and the center was very stingy with bubble soap
|
|
Swimming pool
|
No
|
Yes, but must be a member to use
|
|
Toys for sale
|
Yes
|
No
|
|
Coin-operated games
|
Yes
|
No
|
|
Dining area
|
No
|
Yes
|
|
Comfortable seats
|
None, some pads on ground, some bar stools on second floor
|
Yes, even Ikea chairs, though people tend to sleep in them
|
|
Cribs for little ones
|
No
|
Yes
|
|
Kid-friendly bathrooms
|
No
|
Yes, little sinks and toilets
|
|
Sit-down toilets
|
No
|
Yes
|
|
Attentive staff
|
Only if adults are in ball pit or kids are playing on rides without paying, or big kids are in the toddler area
|
Very, staff will play with children and learn their names
|
|
Slippers/socks
|
Disposable socks for RMB 1
|
Yes – slipper socks
|
|
Cost
|
RMB 50 per child for three hours
|
RMB 480 per child for whole day
|
Hands down, if cost is the main factor, Fundazzle is the winner. It’s centrally-located and is plenty big for older children and toddlers alike. Fundazzle is the clear choice to arrange a play date to let kids burn off some energy for a couple of hours on a rainy day or bad air day.
However, the facilities are OK, but not great. The staff act more like referees and everything except the main area costs a little bit more money. They do have packaged snacks and beverages, but also lots of toys and games that can cause children to plead for something you didn’t plan on paying for.
Overall, Family Box clearly has better facilities, with more features and experiences for children to choose from, while also taking much better care of the adults as well. (Thank you for the Wi-Fi!) However, at RMB 480 for a day visit, this is not the kind of place you’d want to run off to for a couple of hours with a bunch of kids – well, not on our budget anyway.
However, it is worth it for the odd special occasion, if you and your child are content to hang out for an entire day to get your money’s worth. That said, the staff were a bit confused about how to handle the payment for a day visitor (you pay at the cafe). Reina appeared to be the only expat kid in the place, as most – if not all – of the members are Chinese, and just pop in for a couple of hours in the morning or in the late afternoon after school.
So it is clear as the sun, there is room for both the Family Box and Fundazzle in life. If money was no object, Family Box would win every time. But in life, money does matter, and you’re more likely to spot us at Fundazzle than at Family Box next time.
Photos by Christopher Lay
