I think it is safe to say that we have been miserably housebound for two weeks. Larkyn was finally through with her Sam's Club-looking jug of amoxocillin (most of it definitely went in her hair or on her poor PJs), and we were ready to PLAY today!
In my neck of the woods, there are zillions of choices for parks. We can walk to at least 3, and probably 10 others within a short drive. But, to play indoors, we would need to drive a hefty distance to our favorite Lattes & Lollipops or Polaris Mall. Not in the mood for the drive today. Luckily, my
Macaroni Kid newsletter alerted me to the opening of Little Green House, which is only a few miles away.
Little Green House
808 Grandview Avenue
Columbus, Ohio 43215
732-5328
Important to note:
- This is in a very convenient location but not easy to see. It is actually in the old Steak Escape location on the corner of Grandview/Riverside. I had to call, like an idiot, from the parking lot to ask if I was in the right place.
- You and your child must wear socks.
- Admission is $5 and the play area is not staffed (ie: you are in charge of your own bambino)
When we walked in and Larkyn realized it was a place to play, she whipped her coat off as fast as she could and was off! I had to sign the customary waiver and pay the admission. We removed our shoes and went to see what it was all about.
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| Those trees divide up the cushioned seats. There are several benches, a bar, and tables that you can't see. |
Green House leaves you in charge of your child, but the layout is smaller and there comfy seats all over the area so that you can sit and watch your child closely. So, though she could play "by herself", I could sit close enough to her that she could bring me every last felt cabbage and cucumber in the pretend grocery store while I read people.com.
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| Who is that cute little firefighter? |
The layout is adorable...there are 4 tiny buildings for the kids to go into and experience different kinds of dramatic play. A firehouse with a kick-butt firetruck that
actually has lights on top and buttons to push. For someone who is currently obsessed with emergency vehicles, this was a hit.
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| "Iya duck!" |
There was a little market with a thousand pieces of produce (good, sturdy Melissa and Doug type), baskets, a cash register, and metal shopping carts.
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| Swipin' the credit card. I don't know where she learned that skill. |
The Animal clinic was popular with most of the kids and had a nice chalkboard inside (for patient charts, you know). I always appreciate a vertical writing surface for fine motor development!
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| "Roxy, 3 year old dalmatian spaying, O.R. 3 with Dr. Osborne." |
And then, my favorite part...the beautiful light-up bridge! I'm not going to lie, I kind of wanted to walk across it myself. Because it was against the wall of windows, I didn't get a great picture of it. But it leads to a slide that every single child adored. It was nice and low-lying, so no one was going to go flying off the slide and have to use that waiver we signed!
Naturally, Larkyn went rogue as she usually does in these unstructured situations. She enjoyed zooming around the kitchen and bathroom area with this magical toy.
Speaking of the kitchen, Little Green House is affiliated with
Bellwether Kitchen and has a menu of healthy lunch options. I was really in the mood for (and assumed they would have) coffee drinks, but not yet. I am hoping that after their initial few months, they will expand the menu and offer some lattes and smoothies one day. It may be time for another visit since it has been a few years!
All in all, we had a great time. The young lady in charge was friendly and receptive. I was impressed with the quality of the toys and the play structures, loved the seating arrangement, and actually enjoyed the Pandora station they had on for the kids. We have been back once but now live a little far from it, and I would suggest it to anyone looking for something new to try with your little ones in the UA/Grandview area.
A note: We went at 10:30 am during a snowy day. There were only 3 other kids there and it was a great number. Their website cautions that they can reach capacity during busy hours or special events. You can call before you go to make sure there is availability.
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