(image sourced from Luv2Play website)
One of the first indoor playground type places I went with my son was highly rated on Yelp - Luv2Play at Norterra. We went early on a Saturday morning, because the reviews advised it can get really busy as birthday parties are happening throughout the day.
This facility is around 12,000 square feet in the Norterra plaza in North Phoenix. It has three different areas - baby, toddler, and big kids. The baby space is meant for kids under one year, the toddler for little ones from one to four years, and the big kid space from 5 and up.
As of September of 2022, the pricing is as follows:
- Adults - free (up to 2 per paid child)
- 0 - 5 months - free
- 6 months - 4 years - $13 (M-Th) / $15 (F-Sat)
- 5 - 12 years - $16 (M-Th) / $18 (F-Sat)
All adults and children are required to wear grippy socks, which they sell for $3.50/pair.
Upon entering the facility, you’re greeted by the staff at the front desk, who ask if you have been there before. If not, you’re asked to sign the waiver and walked through the pricing. After paying, you are given a wrist band - for adults, it’s placed on your wrist, for Littles it’s placed around their ankle. You’re directed to the cubby area to place your belongings, and once you have your socks on you’re ready to go!
Once behind the child proof gate, you see the three main sections - the party rooms are along one wall, the toddler section to your left, baby area in the middle, snack bar and rest area towards the back, and the large multi level big kid area to the right.
Having not gone to these types of venues before, I wasn’t really sure what to expect, but my first impression was that the facility was clean, and the equipment seemed to be in good condition. I will say that the baby area is VERY small compared to the rest of the sections.
The baby area consisted of a ball pit, a soft play arch, some wooden puzzles affixed to the half walls, foam building blocks, and some little stacking stool type pieces. There were also two rocking type animals to sit on.
The toddler area was much larger in size, with a large musical keyboard (similar to the one from the movie Big), spinning tea cup type chairs, and a two or three tier maze structure with a ball pit and various other climbing activities inside.
I didn’t explore the big kid area very much but it takes up the majority of the facility, and looked like LOTS of fun.
The snack bar area was very popular, and adults were able to sit at the tables and take a break while their kids ran around. Due to the half walls around the baby and toddler areas, you don’t have full line of sight if sitting in the snack area, so I chose to stay in the baby area with my son.
Overall I would say it’s a great place if you have multiple kids, so that they can all play at the same time, but if you only have one kid under four, there are better places to go in the valley.
My son was still under one when we went, and he enjoyed the ball pit immensely. My big concern was the bigger kids coming and going while he was in the ball pit. They nearly bowled him over several times, despite my attempts to get him out of their way as soon as possible. You definitely depend on other parents to keep their kids in the age appropriate space, and if they don’t…it can be tricky to navigate.
Highlights
- Average price for an indoor playground
- Clean facility, obviously well maintained
- Small play areas for the babies and toddlers
- Snack bar, free WiFi
Final verdict
I would go again for a birthday party, or if we have other children to go with, but likely won’t be taking my son back until he’s a bit older. Between the small play areas for the little ones and the older kids dominating those areas, there are better places for the under 5 age range.
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