When the Weather Outside is Frightful (or less than ideal)

Having a ball at the Chinquapin Rec Center soft play room

April showers might bring May flowers but what about that cold rain you get in March?

Friday we had big plans. Wake up (please dear God not before 5:30AM), eat a well rounded breakfast (probably in front of the TV), and wait for one of Teddy's favorite people to arrive. Then we were going to hit up a park or two, watch some trains, and have a picnic lunch. Big things I tell you.

Then the weather forecast on my trusty weather app changed from partly sunny and 60s to "hey grab your umbrella and sweater, it is going to be cool and rainy this morning." That tanked our plans faster than the Titanic into an iceberg and I was left with a loving guest, who drove 1.5 hours to see us, and a toddler sized ball of energy - both who wanted to PLAY.

What is one to do on a day like this, when plans get turned inside out and upside down by the weather?

There are always the options to stay at home, do something artsy, make a fort, play tag in the house, or cuddle and watch a movie. But what about those days when your kiddo really needs to get the wiggles out, what to do then (besides a museum)?

We decided to go to Chinquapin Rec Center and hit up the soft play room. Always a winner in my house and a guaranteed recipe for a long nap. Today was no different. We paid our $5 admission fee (think of it as a toddler's cover charge) and Teddy and Kelly were off. Teddy dove into the ball pit, slid down the slide, climbed everything that was in the room and then repeated. Forty-five minutes later, we had one sufficiently worn out toddler.

As I was watching them play, I realized how lucky we are to live in an area with a wide variety of choices for indoor play. On days when the weather turns on me, or if I am feeling under the weather and not up for much activity, there is always a place to go and something to do. I am never left floundering for ideas. Many times you can just go to a local recreation center, but there are a number of great private facilities that cater to indoor play as well.

I've compiled a list of some our favorite indoor play spaces in Arlington and Alexandria (and a couple in Fairfax/Falls Church). Here’s hoping that it will help you on the next day the weather is not in your favor!

1. Tot Gym @ Charles Houston Rec Center – Alexandria, VA
Just think Toddler Heaven in a basketball court. The Tot Gym at CHRC is our family's go-to indoor facility. Whoever in the city had the idea to turn the basketball court into a room with push trucks, jumbo building blocks, bowling pins and tons of soft balls, and 2 bounce houses deserves an award. A trip here will guarantee a happy kid and good nap.

Fee: $5/$10 (Alexandria City resident/Non-resident)
Age: 0-4 years
Hours: Monday – Wednesday and Saturday, 9:30am - Noon

2. Soft Play @ Charles Houston Rec Center – Alexandria, VA
On first glance though the window you may think this room is too small to entertain your little one but so far it is still a popular go-to for Teddy and his compadres . Kids will age out of this one faster than the room at Chinquapin but it is a great location for your littles.

Fee: $5/$10 (Alexandria City resident/Non-resident)
Age: 0-4 years
Hours: Monday – Friday 9am to 9pm; Saturday 9am to 6pm; Sunday 1pm to 5pm

3. Soft Play @ Chinquapin Rec Center – Alexandria, VA
If Teddy could appropriately voice his thoughts on this facility he would probably call it the bomb-diggity or something to that effect. This soft playroom is large in comparison to others with multiple climbing structures and large building blocks as well as a big ball pit with a soft slide. I started taking Teddy here when he was learning to walk on rainy days and it was a great place where he could master his art, now he runs around squealing in joy. Perfect location if you have a climber (that’s us), a Kiddo that likes to tumble (yes, again), or your child has more energy than the Redbull guy (yep). Worth noting: it can get very crowded on rainy/cold days so I call ahead and ask if there is a wait list.

Fees: $5 per child, per half hour (sometimes they keep track and sometimes they don’t it depends on how crowded it is). First chaperone free; additional chaperones $1 Alexandria Resident/$4 Non-Resident.
Age: 0 to 5
Hours: Monday- Thursday: 9am-8:30pm, Friday: 9am-5:30pm, Saturday & Sunday 9am-5:30pm.

4. Soft play @ Fairlington Rec Center - Arlington, VA
This is a FREE low key version of the soft playrooms above. But really if you give a bunch of kids a room, some jumbo soft building blocks and let them use their imagination great things happen!

Fee: Zero, zilch, nadda, FREE!
Age: 0-4 years
Hours: Monday-Friday 8am – 2pm and 4pm – 7pm; Saturday 8am – 4:45pm

5. Busy Bees - Arlington, VA
This is a fabulous facility for your little one that really needs to get the wiggles out in a creative space. Teddy's favorite is the section with balloons being blown around by a large fan. It's hysterical to see the kids run around chasing the balloons and collapsing with laughter.

Fees: One child-$15; Siblings-$12; Parents and kids under 1: Always free!
Age: 0 to 8 as long as you are under 48″
Hours: Monday – Friday: 9:00am – 5:00pm, Saturday & Sunday: 10:00**am – 5:00pm **Unless they are hosting a private party - then open at 11am. Call or check the website for a weekend trip!

6. Soft Play @ Lee District – Fairfax County
This soft playroom is almost identical to the one at Chinquapin, and gets the same response out of my kiddo, pure joy!

Fee: $5/child; $3/sibling
Age: 0 to 4

7. Pint Sized Playtime @ Arlington Mills, and Lubber Run Rec Centers - Arlington, VA
We have not attended either of these playtimes but since Arlington Mill is open on Thursday and Lubber Run is open on Fridays I saw the weather coming up is forecasting for a potentially dreary days in the coming two weeks so we will be checking out at least one.

calm and relaxing.  words rarely paired when describing children at play. — calm and relaxing. words rarely paired when describing children at play.

8. Nook - Arlington, VA
Are you and your little looking for a less amped-up but still creative and fun way to spend the day? Check out Nook in Arlington. The owner specifically designed this play space with a minimalist vibe in order to give kids more opportunity to use their imagination. That being said there is plenty to do: a Lego table and walls, dress-up section, train table, an arts center with paint and other messy fun, a ball pit, and more open ended fun! Sometimes less is more and in this case it is a definite! One note, this one is pricey but worth a trip every now and again, maybe not an every week occurrence but definitely a nice change of pace.

Fees: You can buy a one time pass for $20 (allows you to go in and out), a 10 pack for $150, or a membership which is $120 a month (ok really that is more than I spend on my gym membership)
Hours: Monday-Friday, 9am to 5pm; Saturday and Sunday, 10am to 4pm. A reservation is required on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday mornings. Capacity limited to 15 children at a time so it is worth calling ahead before going over.

9. Jumping Joey’s - Arlington, VA
If your kid is a fan of bounce houses you should check out Jumping Joey’s. With 6 bounce houses (2 reserved for the littlest) it is a jumper’s dream! The little kids inflatables have plenty of space for open running around while the ones for older kids have obstacle courses and slides. This a fun and different activity for sure.

Fees: $10 per child or you can buy passes in varying increments
Hours: Monday – Friday: 10am – 7pm; Saturday & Sunday: 9am – 7pm. Closed Wednesdays.

10. If you are OK with venturing out of the area there are some fun things to do in DC and Maryland as well. Mommy Nearest has a great list of places to go and things to do that extends past Arlington/Alexandria. I am looking forward to taking Teddy to the Be With Me Playseum in Bethesda!

Now you know where we are likely to be the next cruddy day (and if not one of these, then Target)! Hope this list makes those days of April showers a little more fun. XO