Makutu’s Island

We went to Makutu’s Island today so my son could get some wiggles out between errands. We will NOT be going back until he’s much older, if ever.

This has been on my list of indoor playgrounds in the Phoenix area to check out, and I’m glad I didn’t make the drive to Chandler only for this place, as we left after about an hour.

First, a little history. Makutu’s Island was initially built as a Club Disney concept back in the 90s when there were other indoor playgrounds like Discovery Zone (anyone else remember Discovery Zone?). Then in the late 90s, Disney decided the “Club Disney” concept wasn’t really working for them and closed all 5 locations down. Except the one in Chandler didn’t close, they rebranded using non-Disney characters and it became Makutu’s Island.

First impression was a little negative as we had to walk through several smokers on our way in. There are laws here in Arizona about how close folks can get to entry ways while smoking, and I find it odd that several people decided to not only violate those laws, but do so outside of a children’s indoor playground. Gross.

Upon walking it, it had the standard waiver / check in protocol you see at all indoor playgrounds. The staff is super friendly and they take your photo with your child as a safety precaution. I haven’t see any other playground do this, so that was interesting.

You walk into the main play area and it seems very impressive. There is a huge tree-like structure in the center with slides, climbing structures, etc. 

In the far back corner is the toddler area for the three and under crowd which was super small, and quite frankly, lame. My son was bored with that area within 30 seconds and he just turned 2. Nearby they had a fish tank which was nice and clean that I saw lots of the little kids enjoying. 

We then focused our attention on the main climbing structure, but there were a ton of kids there, and my son was struggling to find an area he could safely play in amongst the chaos. (Not their fault, I went on a Saturday afternoon and there were birthday parties.) He was getting bowled over by bigger kids running around and it just felt too chaotic for this mama’s liking.

As I was walking around, I started to notice how dark and dingy the climbing structure really was. When you went into certain areas it was really hard to see, and you’d lose visibility of your kid REALLY fast. If you have older kids, like 5-6 and up, I think this would probably be fine, but with the 4 and under crowd, the darkness is unwelcoming and intimidating, and the sheer magnitude of other kids makes free play unsafe for them to explore outside of the toddler area.

There were other activities for kiddos, including an arcade area (which is incredibly well lit, compared to the climbing area), and a trampoline jumping thing, all of which were an additional cost. The games required tokens (think Dave and Buster’s type pricing, 4/6 tokens per game). When you’ve already paid to get in, and then immediately run into additional costs, and those items seem more appealing than the thing you paid for (due to the flashing lights, sounds, and generally well lit nature of the gaming area), it’s irritating.

For one child on a Saturday, it was $25 plus tax, which included a pair of Makutu branded grippy socks, which were required. As his accompanying adult, I was able to get in for free. 😅 There are Groupons that can give you a discount, but they are only valid for entry Monday through Friday.

I won’t beat it to death, but if you’re looking for an indoor playground to take the 5 and under set, there are better options in the Phoenix area.

#ThingsToDoInPhoenix #KidsActivitiesPhoenix #KidsActivitiesAZ #KidsActivitiesArizona #MiniZonies 

Sit Still Kids Salon in Scottsdale

Sit Still Kids Salon in Scottsdale is a salon that opened up about 3 months ago. They are located at 13802 N Scottsdale Rd, Scottsdale, AZ 85254. They are open Monday through Friday 10am to 6pm, Saturday 9am to 5pm and Sunday 10m to 4pm, closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. 

To date, we had only taken our son to Cookie Cutters at Norterra, but they didn't have any openings for a few days, so I booked an appointment at Sit Still to try them out. For a standard short haircut for a child, it's $30 plus tip, and you must book your appointment online, which seems to be the standard for children's hair salons.

First impression of the salon as we walked in was that it was absolutely adorable - clean, fresh and modern, with a tasteful retail space at the front with a variety of toys, clothing items and accessories. They were decorated for Valentine's Day, and had a cute little cart just outside of the front door for adorable post haircut photo ops.

For the haircut itself, we were taken to a station where my son was able to pick whatever show he wanted to watch from a tablet that was affixed to a "car" chair. He isn't really into television yet so we put on a random show to distract him. The hairdresser was trying her best, but my son was very wiggly, despite taking him to an indoor trampoline park prior to the haircut. Throughout the whole experience she tried to distract him with toys or fun noises - she was definitely making an effort to get him still so she could give him a proper haircut. 

The only apprehension I had about the experience was that towards the end, she had me hold my son's head so she could finish the edges. That was when my son lost it, and I realized it wasn't worth it. That wasn't the hairdresser's fault at all, but going forward if my kiddo won't sit still, we'll get what we get with as occupied as we can get him, but I won't restrain him to get it "polished".

Regardless, she gave him a lovely haircut, and once I got him outside and he settled down, we were able to take some cute post haircut photo ops. He managed to get his hands on a dum dum pop, and he was all smiles after that. 

We would absolutely give Sit Still Kids Salon another visit in the future.

Sky Zone Trampoline Park - Paradise Valley

Sky Zone Trampoline Park located at 4857 E Greenway Rd, Suite A, Paradise Valley, AZ 85254 is a great activity for toddlers! They are open 9am to 8pm Monday through Thursday, 9am to 10pm Friday and Saturday, and 10am to 8pm on Sunday.

They require Sky Zone branded grippy socks, sold at the front desk for $5/pair. Their current pricing is 90 minutes for $22, 120 minutes for $25, and all day passes for $35. The best deal for toddlers to participate is during their "Little Leapers" windows on Tuesdays, Thursday and Saturdays from 9am to 11am. Little Leapers costs $12, and is only available for those 6 and under, meaning the little ones can fully enjoy the facilities without being bowled over by a bigger kid.

There are tons of different sections, including foam pits, a free jump area, a jousting section, parkour type ramps, obstacle courses, a rock wall and more. The staff was vigilant to ensure all attendees were playing safely, which was no small feat with all of the toddlers running around, in addition to several birthday parties.

We will definitely be back for a future "Little Leaper" day, since it was a great way for my son to get his wiggles out and meet other little kids.

Sky Zone has several locations throughout the valley, including Peoria, Camelback East and Alhambra if the Paradise Valley location isn't convenient for you.

KTR Scottsdale

If you have a toddler, you know that it can be hard to find activities that they can enjoy while still keeping them safe and having fun. That’s why you should consider bringing them to KTR Scottsdale—a state-of-the-art indoor trampoline park that’s sure to provide hours of fun and entertainment for the whole family.

KTR Scottsdale is located at 9009 E. Talking Stick Way Scottsdale, AZ 85250, and is open Monday - Friday from 12pm to 8pm, Saturday from 10am to 9pm and Sunday from 10am to 6pm. Tickets are currently priced at $22 for two hours of jump time, and $27 for four hours of jump time. Toddlers aged 5 and under are $12 for one hour.

They have a skate park area, parkour, and lots of other fun activities for the older kids, but I will concentrate on the toddler accessible areas for this review. We attended during their not highly advertised Toddler Time, taking place Tuesday through Thursday from 9am until noon. It was $12 for the three hour block, and only the 5 and under kids were allowed to play. It was AMAZING - they had the run of the entire place, which would obviously typically be overrun by much older children.

Staff was very alert, ensuring all of the kiddos were playing safely to allow everyone to have an enjoyable experience. There were all sorts of different sections to try with varying themes - dodgeball, free jumping, parkour, etc. Grippy socks were not required, but my son wore them for safety reasons.

If you’re looking for the best day to visit KTR Scottsdale, we recommend going on a weekday (and mornings Tuesday through Thursday if you have kids 5 and under). Weekends tend to be busier and more crowded, so you’ll have a better chance of getting a good spot if you go on a weekday. This means your toddler will have more space to explore and enjoy the park. KTR Scottsdale is the perfect place to take your toddler for hours of safe, fun bouncing. So if you’re looking for something new and exciting to do with your little one, be sure to check out KTR Scottsdale! They also have locations in Mesa, Glendale and Chandler if one of those locations is closer to you.