What is a parent to do when they find their kids bouncing off the walls from rainy days or cold winters stuck inside? Head to an indoor playground, of course! Thankfully, Southwest Ohio has plenty of options.
Check out these Indoor Playgrounds in Dayton:
Boonshoft Museum
2600 DeWeese Parkway, Dayton, OH 45414
The Boonshoft Museum is the premier destination for family learning in the Miami Valley. It is a natural history museum, science center, children’s museum, planetarium, observatory and zoo!
EnterTRAINment Junction
7379 Squire Court West Chester, OH 45069
Imagination Junction features an interactive play area designed specifically for kids. A 5,000 square-foot railroad-themed entertainment center includes a colorful, innovative play structure with dozens of challenging elements. Completely indoors, it’s the perfect place to come on a rainy day or any day!
Fairhaven Church- Centerville Location
637 E. Whipp Rd. Centerville, OH 45459
Fairhaven’s indoor children’s play area provides a free, safe, clean place for children ages 0-6 to play, while allowing parents and caregivers the opportunity to connect with friends and other families. The soft play area is only for children ages 0-2. The tube play area is recommended for children ages 3-6. All children must be under adult supervision. FREE The Play Area is open to the public with reservations. Southwest Ohio Parent Tip– No food and drink allowed.
Kid Clubhouse
865 W Central Ave, Springboro, OH 45066
Kid Clubhouse is an indoor playground designed for kids with parents in mind, featuring a large multilevel playground, bounce house, party rooms to rent, and a snack bar!
Little Gym of Dayton
2078 E Dorothy Ln, Kettering, OH 45420
Whether you’re looking for additional enrichment programs in Kettering or simply need a night out, we’ve got your back. And like all our classes, these extra programs each feature a smartly crafted curriculum full of creative activities and loads of laughter.
Magic Castle
4990 Wilmington Pike Dayton, OH 45440
One of Dayton’s largest and most exciting family fun centers! Their soft play indoor playground is for ages 11 and younger, we have our massive, indoor jungle gym called Soft Play. Soft Play consists of three levels and is filled with tunnels, slides, and mazes that will spark children’s imagination. Adults can enter the Soft Play zone FREE with a paying child. Southwest Ohio Parent Tip- They also have tons of arcade games (2 floors), batting cages, mini golf and water wars when the weather is warm.
Playland at Stillwater Church
6911 Frederick Pike, Dayton
The Playland (located at the north end of the Frederick Pike campus) is an exclamation point on the premium that Stillwater places on kids! It’s open & FREE to the public Tuesday from 1p – 4p. Need a party place? The Indoor Cafe & Playland is a great place to celebrate birthday parties & special occasions.
Check out these Indoor Playgrounds in Cincinnati:
Bee Kind Kid’s Clubhouse
5534 Eureka Dr. Ste A, Liberty TWP, OH 45011
Just over a year old, Bee Kind Kid’s Clubhouse is an indoor play designed for kids under age 8 with a separate spot for babies. Parents make sure you check out the self serve coffee bar!
Magic Land
10501 New Haven Rd Harrison, Ohio 45030
Designed for children to feel like they’re traveling through their own miniature town, the space features a multi-level climber, several Little Tikes jeeps and cars, tall buildings to pretend-play in, a huge pebble rock digging space, lounges for mom & dad and a life-sized claw machine where your child is the claw! The kid claw machine is an add on purchase that you can select in-store.
Happy Hangout Westside
2041 Anderson Ferry Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45238
For Cincinnati West Siders, a family favorite for indoor play is at Happy Hangout West Side. With a tall jungle gym complete with tubes, slides and impressive imaginative play storefronts, your kiddos under age 8 will stay cool and have a blast!
The space itself is designed for younger children to run and play through climbing tubes, a treehouse and a kid-sized tiny town. Inside the town, children’s imaginations will spark with a baby boutique, riverfront market, fire truck, camper and pet shop. A gated, padded baby area encourages development with soft climbers, toddler slide, play table and tiny wagons.
The Dungeon at King Arthur’s Court
3040 Madison Road, Oakley, OH 45209
The Dungeon at King Arthur’s Court is a fun and free indoor play area that truly transforms this store into a land of imagination. The Dungeon at King Arthur’s Court is comprised of three areas. There’s a small jungle gym, hanging swings, books, toys and comfy couches in the front space. It’s the perfect place to spend a cold winter’s day.
The Woods at Cincinnati Museum Center
1301 Western Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45203. 513-287-7000
The Woods is easily the most unique indoor play area in Cincinnati; the three-story area has hollow climbing logs, rope bridges and a horizontal climbing wall, as well as areas for discovering fossils and the animals that live in the nooks and crannies of the woods. Designed for kiddos 8 and older, but younger kids are encouraged to explore with an adult (and in fact, the bouncy spider web is just for younger explorers!). The Woods is FREE with CMC admission.
Dig ‘N Play
9405 Cincinnati Columbus Rd. (Rt.42), West Chester, OH 45069
Located in West Chester, Dig ‘N Play is not your average indoor playground. From its three-story play structure and inflatables to the kid-propelled trains and large dramatic play area, everything about Dig ‘N Play is extra. True to its name, Dig ‘N Play also features a massive, custom-built, sand table. Having a dedicated space for kids to dig — and not make a mess at home — is amazing!
Graeter’s Lil’ Pints Playroom
8533 Beechmont Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45255 and 8167 Montgomery Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45236
The indoor playground at Graeter’s Cherry Grove and Kenwood stores are the third of its kind, with the other located in Columbus. The indoor playground features multiple ice-cream-themed slides, a banana-split-inspired teeter-totter, plenty of room to play and a fun, ice-cream-truck photo opp.
Jump & Jacks
7102 Office Park Dr., West Chester, OH 45069
It’s always playtime at Jump & Jack’s. This multi-level indoor playground is filled with tons of climbing, sliding and jumping fun for kids, plus an interactive Toddler Zone just for littles 2 and under. Admission is $4 for toddlers 2 and under every day and $8 for kids 3 and up on weekdays/$10 on weekends.
Jump Zone
5765 Constitution Drive, Florence, KY, 41042
Kids will have a blast playing at a Jump Zone Party and Play Center which features massive, themed inflatable slides, obstacle courses, bounce houses kids love, interactive games, toddler activities, and more. All equipment is for kids ages 2-12.
Worth The Drive: LEGOland Discovery Center
157 Easton Town Center, Columbus, OH 43219
LEGOland Discover Center is basically one giant playground for LEGO lovers, but there are two areas specifically devoted to indoor play. For younger tots, there is, of course, a Duplo playground with large, soft bricks, blown-up animals for climbing and even a playset and slide. (Have your kids slide into the soft bricks — it’s so fun!) And for the older crowd, the LEGOLAND Discovery Center is the ultimate indoor (LEGO) playground — the three-story LEGO City play space looks like a larger-than-life version of your kids’ LEGO fire station, construction and police station sets. (This Columbus gem is absolutely worth the drive!)
Liberty Center’s Cincinnati Children’s Discovery Center
7100 Foundry Row, Liberty Township, OH 45069. 513-644-0900
The Cincinnati Children’s Discovery Center is an amazing indoor play area where kids can get their energy out while parents watch on. Located in the Foundry, the Discovery Center is designed for kids aged 2 to 12 to run, climb (inside a huge Flying Pig) and slide (down the Pigtail Slide)! Kids will delight in sending foam balls zipping on a journey they create in the gigantic Magnetic Ball Maze. This mall play area is a genius idea and needs to be incorporated by every shopping center! Oh — and it’s FREE.
LilyPad Play
2008 Madison Road, Cincinnati, OH 45209
There are lots of great indoor playgrounds in Cincinnati, but only a few are geared towards little kids. LilyPad Play fits this niche: it’s aimed toward kids 6 and under, and the space is truly great for that diverse age range. Toddlers will enjoy the soft gym areas, bug scooters, train table and grocery store area, while preschoolers will love the indoor climbing wall and play set.
Play Library
1307 Main Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202
Rainy, snowy days are perfect for board games. And the Play Library in OTR is one of the coolest inventions to come to Cincinnati. It’s designed and operated like a regular library, except their inventory is full of new and vintage games, toys, dress-up clothes and more! The best part? It’s always free to come in and play. They are a non-profit organization, so feel free to drop a donation or become a member!
Recreations Outlet
885 St. Rt 28, Milford, OH 45150
This hidden gem in Milford features trampolines, basketball hoops, scooters and play sets of every size and shape. Want to play foosball, ping pong, or air hockey? They’ve got that too. Recreations outlet even offers an onsite cafe with free wifi and a full menu. Admission is $9 per child for up to two hours on weekdays and $12 per child on weekends and school holidays. Recreations Outlet also offers Charitable Play: on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9-11 am, kids can play for just $4 per child and half of all proceeds go to the charity of the month.
Rockin’ Jump Cincinnati
8350 Colerain Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45239
At Rockin’ Jump Cincinnati, your littles can literally, well, bounce off the walls! While many of the offerings at Rockin’ Jump are for older kids, there is an area especially for jumpers 6 and under. This area is open and spacious, and really lets kids be free to bounce, climb, roll and fall. It’s fantastic to have an entire space where kids can bounce to their hearts’ content.
Run Jump-n-Play
5897 Pfeiffer Rd, Suite B, Cincinnati,OH 45242
Run, Jump & Play in Blue Ash has one of the largest indoor playgrounds in the area, and specializes in parties. For preschoolers and elementary-aged kids, the many play sets, trampolines and inflatables make for a really fun time. Run, Jump & Play also makes it easy for parents: each party has a personal party host, private party room, invitations, paper goods and the option for pizza and drinks, party favors and specialty themes. (Oh, and they clean it all up, too!)
We Rock The Spectrum
4060 E. Galbraith Rd, Unit 17, Cincinnati, OH 45236
A kids gym designed for kids of all abilities to enjoy. The equipment is designed for children with sensory processing disorders, but of course all children are welcome. Located a few doors down from Deer Park Library, WRTS Cincinnati offers both open play and classes.
Wonderland Playground
8255 Beechmont Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45255
Wonderland Playground was built for fun! The space was designed for ages 1-10 with several play areas designed to keep children entertained for hours. Wonderland provides a fun, safe and clean environment for active play. In addition to the play areas, Wonderland features include a nursing room, a cafe with snacks and beverages and free wi-fi, so you can enjoy the time at Wonderland as much as your children do.
The YMCA of Greater Cincinnati
Locations vary. 513-632-YMCA
Offering tons of indoor activities to keep your kids, well, active, the YMCA of Greater Cincinnati is every Cincinnati Parent’s best friend in the winter! Especially if your kids are missing pool time, head to the YMCA for a little splishin’ and splashin’! Specifically, the Powel Crosley, Jr. YMCA in Springfield Township, which features the best indoor water playground in town. Powel Crosley’s spacious water park includes a leisure pool with a water playground, body flume slide, giant dump buckets (perfect for soaking boisterous kids!), lazy river and lap lanes. The best part? If you’re not a member of the YMCA, you can request a free guest pass to try it out!
Mosaic Rock Climbing
9501 Union Cemetery Rd, Loveland, OH 45140
A unique style of climbing done over a thick pad without ropes or a harness. You can boulder with or without a partner, both inside on shorter walls and outside on boulders. Mosaic offers top-rope, auto belay, and lead climbing. Youth packages are available for those 13 and under starting at $45 monthly unlimited climbing. Mosaic also offers homeschool climb sessions.
