Chicky Play Museum, one of Vancouver’s newest indoor playspaces, is creative, clean and loads of fun for littles.
When PDX Parent covered the opening of Chicky Play Museum on Instagram this summer, I immediately knew that a visit with my 14-month-old son was in our near future. Located in a strip mall in Vancouver, Chicky Play isn’t a museum, but rather a thoughtfully designed indoor playspace.
With rainy fall weather in full force, we determined that now was the perfect time to take advantage of this new spot. My husband and I along with our son ventured north on a cloudy morning.
I knew from working at the magazine that before my son could play, indoor venues like Chicky Play required participants to sign a waiver, and wear socks. Pro tip: Save time — especially if you’re visiting on a weekend day — by signing the waiver online before you arrive. But you don’t have to make reservations to visit, a bonus if you decide that everyone needs a change of venue now.
After checking in, we stowed our shoes and the diaper bag in an empty cubby and set my son down to explore. Chicky Play looks like a movie set of an adorable, miniature town. There’s a cafe, grocery store, veterinarian, construction site, fire station (complete with a slide and an ambulance) and a living room. Each place comes with its own accessories, from wooden foods and a shopping cart, to dog stuffies, hammers and firefighter helmets. For kiddos who love pretend play, it’s a dream set up.
My son, who is a speed crawler and confident cruiser, made the rounds through town, zooming from place to place exploring each new setting. I appreciated how thoughtfully designed each “business” was — and how clean! Chicky Play closes from 12:30 to 1 pm daily to clean and sanitize, and I noticed an employee walking around wiping down toys and stations. Pro tip: There’s also a bin to drop items in if something gets particularly germy.
My husband and I enjoyed watching our son discover new toys. His favorites: a large German Shepherd stuffie that he waved to and said oggie, oggie, oggie (his word for doggie) and a pretend play band aid, also found in the vet’s office.
While the town is the main attraction of Chicky Play, the indoor space also features wooden train tracks, colorful wooden blocks, bells and kid-size tables and chairs with sensory stations and coloring pages. (For fall, the sensory bins were full of pinecones, beaded corn cobs and felt pumpkins.) While our son was too young to appreciate it, my husband’s favorite feature was the interactive sandbox, with a colored topographic overlay that changed as you moved the sand.
The open layout of the playspace makes it easier for kids to explore and play with each other. One kid enjoyed unloading his grocery cart to hand my son his collection of fruits and veggies. Two other siblings hammered and sawed at the construction site. Chicky Play is made for kids ages 0 to 8, but on our visit the majority of kids playing were toddlers.
Chicky Play’s cafe is also enticing to kids: Ice cream, milkshakes, sweet waffles and waffle hotdogs. My husband and I took turns getting more caffeine while the other one supervised play time. I had a tasty dirty chai, and my husband reported his drink was flavorful, and that his waffle dog satiated his need to visit Costco for a hot dog.
Before heading out, we grabbed a yellow balloon, a fun parting bonus. A complimentary snack, like a mini bag of Goldfish or gummy bears, is also available for kids to enjoy.
We all had a great time at our first indoor playspace experience. While the $18.50 admission prevents it from being a weekly outing, we’ll definitely be back. Our son played with his balloon on the drive home, and is still batting it around our living room.
If You Go
Address: 8109 Suite A NE Vancouver Mall Dr., Vancouver
Hours: Monday – Sunday, from 8:30 am – 12:30 pm and from 1 – 7 pm
Admission: $18.50 per child for two hours of play time. Two adults can join their kid for playtime. Pro tip: You’ll be notified via email and text when your time is up. (Five or 10-visit passes are available and lower admission to $16 and $15 per visit.)
Playtime Pro Tips
- Socks (grippy ones are preferred) are required for adults and children in the play area.
- No outside food or drink is permitted (except for breastmilk, formula or baby food), and no food or drink inside the play area.
Looking for even more indoor play spaces? Check out our handy listing here!
- Littles Love This Vancouver Indoor Play Space - November 26, 2024
- Top 5 Holiday Toy Drives - November 11, 2024
- Craving Indian and Mexican? Go Here - October 22, 2024