Beyond Fundazzle: 7 Chinese Mom-Approved Play Centers

E-Kids Island (爱乐游): 3/F, The Place, 9 Guanghua Lu, Chaoyang District

CBD

8 out of 10

RMB 300 for 10 visits

"In general, the environment was great. The facilities were clean, with soft toys, see-saws, swings, rockets, a "water bed" to jump on, slides, small climbing equipment, wooden toys, a ball pit, and more. The center is suitable for kids who can already crawl; only those under 1.3m can enter. One parent per child is allowed to go in. On the whole service was quite good."

E-Kids Island (爱乐游): 3/F, BHG Mall

Tongzhou

9 out of 10

RMB 60 per visit, RMB 300 for 10 visits

"The facilities were great and quite clean. There was a trampoline, swings, rockets, a "water bed," a climbing frame, a ball pit, slides, wooden toys and even some toys I didn’t know the name of. On weekends, only one parent is allowed in with the child; usually two adults can go in."

Kids’ Park at Beiyuan K Ku Plaza, 42 Beiyuan Lu, Chaoyang District

Olympic Village

8 out of 10

RMB 60 per visit or RMB 300 per month unlimited

"Facilities: The venue wasn’t very big, but the environment was all right. Play equipment: Larger play equipment included a few slides; apart from that there were smaller-scale things like a ball pit. The center was safe, with soft mats for younger kids to learn how to walk on. Overall it was clean; there was always an employee wiping down surfaces. Service was great; the staff was very warm and let us play for a bit longer."

Taoqi Bao ("Naughty Castle," 淘气堡): Inside the BHG Marketplace near Haozhuang Jiayuan

Changping

8 out of 10

RMB 30 per visit or RMB 400 for 20 visits

[Ed’s note: Parts of this mom’s review appear to be copy-pasted from the previous one.]

"Facilities: The venue wasn’t very big, but the environment was all right. Play equipment: Larger play equipment includes slides, monkey bars, and trampolines. There’s a large octopus ride constantly moves and can seat up to 10 kids. Smaller play equipment includes a ball pit, a sandbox, and toy cars. The center was safe, with soft mats for younger kids to learn how to walk on. There was always a staff member around and service was pretty good."

Mengle Cheng ("Dream Joy City," 梦乐城): 3/F, Auchan store

Fengtai

7 out of 10

RMB 35 per visit or RMB 100 for 4 visits

"The play center wasn’t very big but the environment was OK. It’s very crowded on weekend; I recommend going on weekdays. Larger-scale equipment includes slides, trampolines, and an octopus ride for kids. There is also a ball pit, wooden toys, and toy cars. The center is lined with safety mats. Cleanliness and service were average."

Family Box (家盒子)

Wangjing and CBD

8 out of 10

RMB 480 per visit. Baby swimming: RMB 20,000 for 72 visits. Memberships: RMB 20,000 per year or RMB 26,000 for two years.

"Family Box spans three floors; this must be Beijing’s largest play center by surface area. The climbing frame is so large even adults can play on it for a while, let alone children. The water facilities are unique; kids can spend a few hours in them without wanting to leave. Other facilities like the sandbox, soft toys, library, mini-supermarket, and more are excellent. Two adults per child are allowed in. No need to worry about safety and hygiene; there are always staff members disinfecting the place and even the rims on the little toilet bowls are clean. But for such an expensive place, the service level has some catching up to do. Not many gave service with a smile; in fact, many were scowling. The baby swimming pool is really worth going. It’s too bad it’s not included in the price of memberships and getting a 72-time card just for that costs RMB 20,000."

Happy Baby (海贝儿): 4/F, Yintai Mall, Dahongmen

Fengtai

8 out of 10

RMB 60 per visit, RMB 25 for access to sandbox, RMB 500 for 30 visits

"Located within the Yintai Mall. This is a very new play center with overall great facilities. A card gets you access to both play areas. There are slides, a ball pit, and trampolines. There’s also a second floor with a sand pit area. There’s quite a bit of variety in the play equipment, but the play center itself isn’t very large. If you live in the area, it’s quite convenient to go to in the winter, with lots of dining options around. The administration is pretty strict; kids over 1.2m aren’t allowed in. The play center is cleaned daily, but the sand from the sand pit still makes it to the general play area."

Yuyuto (悠游堂): 3/F, U-Town Mall

Chaoyangmen

8 out of 10

Yearly membership: Around RMB 1,500

"This is a new play center, so the facilities are very clean and shiny. There’s lots to do, but it’s best-suited to kids who are already walking. It’s very safe; everything is covered in soft mats. Service is good, though there aren’t many employees. They’re constantly cleaning and one female employee often checked in on the play area."