Photo: At Planet Play, kids between ages two and 12 years can wander around the enclosed playground to rotate a foam solar system, climb play towers and compete in a digital satellite game. | Photo Credit (all): Courtesy of Soft Play
By Soft Play
Innovative ideas bring people together. They push everyone to think outside the box and make life better, especially in ways that inspire more fun. Indoor playground projects are transforming how neighbors interact with each other and the world. Community and school leaders should learn more about those experiences to determine if they’re a good fit.
Immersive Playground Projects Support Residents of All Ages
Playgrounds are excellent spaces for kids and people of any age group because they provide numerous resources. Soft Play a global leader in contained playground equipment, understands the need for customized structures to reach various demographics.
Structures with the latest entertainment options can appeal to modern families. Interactive play stations with stomping pads may challenge younger kids, while older ones climb non-belayed skycourses. Mixing tech-based entertainment with physical structures that encourage kids to stay active doubles the fun they’ll get from the space compared with an outdoor playground.
Sheltered indoor playgrounds double as areas for seasonal activities as well. When public playtime ends, the facility operating the playground can turn it into an area where residents can celebrate together. They might move play structures aside for seasonal events and festivities, and the expansive floor and equipment could be the best place for high school STEM camps that need extra room for attendees.
Fitness challenges also present additional ways for community members of all ages to practice their gross motor skills. If they get to jump, climb and run around, they’ll use their brains and muscles in ways they aren’t able to at home. Improving those skills helps people retain motor regions and cognitive processing as they age, so including residents of all ages in indoor playground events is crucial.
Indoor Playgrounds Improve Local Economies
The activities happening within indoor playspaces create numerous benefits for anyone who visits, but communities also see their economies improve after their project opens to the public. Local leaders will need to hire crews to help build the space before recruiting long-term workers to maintain it and run events. The unemployment rate may lower and stay that way, which can become a lifeline for struggling communities.
Indoor playgrounds also double as places for reserved events. Families could book dates to host birthday parties while local businesses organize camps and training events in large spaces.
The equipment and the playground size are both assets to communities that invest in them. More public spending on local services could bolster a town’s economy, so it becomes a better place to live.
Soft Play Projects Help Communities Have More Fun
Indoor play areas are more than a rising entertainment trend. Soft Play has been changing neighborhoods for the better with projects that combine learning, physical activity and public engagement.
The company’s Mountain America Jurassic Jungle play area opened in Thanksgiving Point, Utah, at the end of 2024. The six-story playground gives kids an immersive experience in the world of dinosaurs. They can slide down a snake’s mouth, climb through lava chambers, and solve puzzles before feeding a T-Rex or climbing the volcano structure.
Mountain America Jurassic Jungle is the most ambitious Soft Play project since the brand started in 1984. It has worked with major businesses like Chick-fil-A and SeaWorld, but it also partners with community leaders who want to give residents a place to have fun.
Florida visitors and residents have experienced the immersive world of Soft Play projects, too. The Kennedy Space Center launched its Planet Play area inside its visitor complex in 2021. Kids between ages two and 12 years can wander around the enclosed playground to rotate a foam solar system, climb play towers and compete in a digital satellite game. Meanwhile, parents and family members can relax with coffee or beverages from the connected bar.
Both project sites teach kids while providing new ways to stay active. Families get to relax within the air-conditioned space and even enjoy a drink from nearby menus. Community members know each indoor playground is a place to find employment, take their kids for recreational activities and learn together outside a classroom environment.
Ways Kids Get Immersive Play Experiences Indoors
Many imagine playgrounds are exclusively swing sets and slides, but immersive projects like those with Soft Play equipment offer so much more. The durable materials and kid-centric designs create play experiences families can’t find anywhere else.
Interactive screens challenge users’ problem-solving skills while indulging their interests in all things technology. If parents would rather encourage their kids to take a tech break during their playground visit, indoor equipment can also include obstacle course structures and themed climbing towers.
Experts recommend kids older than six get at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day, which can feel challenging. Gamified playground equipment keeps them active without team sports involvement. Free afternoons may only allow enough time for a family to visit an interactive obstacle course rather than attend a practice or sports competition.
Soft Play even works with project leaders to create structures customized to their needs. Free design consultations are always available. If a community would respond well to an indoor play site featuring their city’s name and local themes, customization is always possible. The extra commitment to each region’s most pressing interests can mean the difference between a popular playground and one that struggles to stay open.
Create an Indoor Playground Project That Benefits Everyone
Outdoor play areas are great for kids, but indoor playgrounds provide year-round spaces for everyone to enjoy. While kids test their gross motor skills and families relax nearby, community leaders can schedule public events to bring everyone together within the expansive rooms. The project could generate enough revenue and jobs to boost the local economy while making the region a better place for everyone.