Commercial Indoor Playgrounds
We help developers of children's entertainment centers, indoor party centers and play cafes choose the best playground equipment for their business.
Whether building a new children’s entertainment center, starting an indoor party business or play cafe, the common attraction is providing the fun, excitement and challenge of a well designed, multi-level commercial playground. Since starting in 1985, when Jack Pentes designed and built the first indoor playground for Discovery Zone, soft playgrounds, jungle gym, soft modular playgrounds, or climbing structures, whatever you call them – the indoor play business has grown exponentially, and never looked back.
How to Choose the Right Indoor Playground for Your Business
Today these local, community based family fun and children’s entertainment centers provide a wide array of climbing, sliding, crawling, active fun for ages 10 to 12 years and younger. Northwest Play offers the best commercial indoor playgrounds at the very best price, with a cost for value-proposition from a wide assortment of activities components and quality installation.
If at all possible, we try to include a 3-Lane Wave Slide in our designs. Typically from the 2nd or 3rd level down to the front of the playground, creating an open and visually appealing (Kodak moment) activity, where child and parent can engage together.
If the design includes an easy-access climb to the slide deck, parents can lose themselves back in time sliding with their children.
Factors to Consider
Target Audience & Age Appropriateness:
The first factor to consider when purchasing a commercial playground for your indoor entertainment center is the focus of your project’s demographics. Target audience and age appropriateness are critical considerations to help you and your indoor play provider determine the best activity mix and grid layout for maximum fun and safety.
Space, Layout and Design Optimization:
The second consideration for choosing the best commercial playground is to focus on the actual interior space of your location. Most importantly is the clear ceiling height available, considering beams and any sprinkler service. Secondly, is that height uniform to the entire space, or is it only available in a certain section. These factors begin the process of layout and design optimization.
If you determine your target audience is kids from 2-10 years old, you will most likely want to include a separate toddler play area for those younger children. This will reflect in the layout of your space, so that separation between age groups is maintained, but for the parent that may have a 3 year old and a 6 year old – visibility for both is still important and reflected in final designs.
In consideration of available ceiling height and the actual placement of your play structure, the process is more strategic. If you intend to target kids 5 years and older, getting as high as you can is most important. As that target demographic grows from 5 years to 10 years, you must have your design appeal to that growth cycle, and that means height and challenges in the form of unique climbs and long, fast slides.
The design/layout strategy must also consider traffic flow into and around your full service offerings. Any food area, party rooms, games, entry/exit, etc., as well as visibility and site lines all combine to create the experience, and ultimately your full revenue potential.
Commercial Playground for Business
Size: 22’x20′
Height: 12′
Activities: 18
Capacity: 30
Other: Interactive play panels
Interactive Indoor Church Playgrounds
Size: 28’x16′
Height: 12′
Activities: 18
Capacity: 32
Multi-Level Adventure Play Structures
Size: 36’x28′
Height: 18′
Activities: 26
Capacity: 55
Playgrounds for Indoor Party Centers
Size: 12’x36′
Height: 16′
Activities: 34
Capacity: 60
Other: Included toddler area
Interactive Playground for Fun Centers
Size: 30’x36′
Height: 24′
Activities: 38
Capacity: 74
Other: Sports court
Indoor Play Designed for Business
Size: 48’x28′
Height: 19′
Activities: 48
Capacity: 90
Large 3-Level Playground
Size: 80’x36′
Height: 18′
Activities: 57
Capacity: 120
Other: Sport court
Jumbo 3-level Interactive Playground
Size: 48’x68′
Height: 18′
Activities: 68
Capacity: 165
Other: Sport court and Ballocity
Monstrous Fun at Close to 40' Tall
Size: 60’x44′
Height: 38′
Activities: 65
Capacity: 280
Other: (7) slides, 120′ Black Cobra slide, 2x 3-level Wave slides.
Understanding the Different Types of Commercial Indoor Playgrounds
To Theme or Not to Theme?
Initially, most new indoor party center developers are attracted and awe-struck by how cool and beautiful all the pretty indoor playground renderings are presented. Magical indoor spaces filled with giant colorful candy canes, roaring dinosaurs and plastic rocketships to the moon!
This is theming… and it is the basis of many heated discussions inside the play industry with designers, facility operators and creators.
There is no doubt of the attraction for a themed experience. We need look no further than the big guys; Disney, Paramount Parks and others to see how it can be done. These guys are the masters at creating story and environment, and they have both the ability, the budget and attendance to support that investment.
Most community-centric indoor entertainment centers do not have the luxury of budget to really achieve a Disney-like experience.
Budget vs. Playability Investment
The question then becomes one of budget vs. playability and how best to maximize your playground budget to ensure that your target demographic (hint: it’s not the parents) are nagging mom to return to your facility, or have their birthday party at your location.
Any amount of carved foam, hard coating and airbrushed finishes for components that are not an actual activity (dinosaur head vs. 3 level speed slide for example), are directly competing for budget dollars. Which of these two do you think 8 year old Johnny and Janice are most excited to experience again and again?
I think you get the point. Theming is expensive and can easily chew through 30% of your budget – on items that have next to zero return on playability investment.
Once a Pirate Ship - Always a Pirate Ship
Another sometimes issue with theming, is always the same. Once a pirate ship, always a pirate ship. Sometimes little Johnny wants to be a knight in shining armor or a fireman saving other kids from peril.
Over time, the same playground theme can begin to stale, especially if other themed players come into the market. Re-theming a playground from pirate ship to castle is not financially practical, so for the 10-12 years that location operates it is a pirate ship.
Budget Friendly - ROI Focused
We always recommend to focus your budget on creating the most exciting and playful space for your target aged customers. Ultimately they are the ones who will make the decision of where to go to play and party.
However, there are strategies amusement developers can employ to create their own stories and themed space, providing differentiation in the marketplace.
Rather than theme the entire playground and committing to a single theme, by using themed murals and facility theming, owners can still create that wow-effect.
Create Mult-Function Play Areas
Your indoor playground can be more than just a climb and slide play ground. By creating multi-functional areas within the play experience operators can attract and entertain different age groups with interests and abilities, allowing for a broader age appeal, expanded parties and repeat visits. For example including other activities within the playground;
- Youth Climbing Wall
- Sport Court
- Ball Play (Ballocity)
- VR Caves
- Interactive Zones
- Virtual Projection Games
We work with our customers from initial project scope and facility layout, to design, construction and installation, exploring every opportunity for the play experience. Our focus is to bring your business goals into the design process by maximizing space, layout and design options in consideration of your proposed target audience.
Maximizing return on your investment with purposeful focus on attracting new and repeat traffic through creative, multi-function design. Layout, and activity mix within the structure that will have a positive impact on revenue opportunities and the overall excitement of great playability.