Here's a great place to take your kids for a fun time in the city

Funshalla, Byculla (Indoors)

The first thing that startles me about Funshalla is the size. It is huge. After four years of writing this column and covering numerous indoor play spaces, I consider myself an expert voice in this area and this one is big. I take two six-year-old girls along, and the duo seem to know the place like the back of their hands. Apparently, Funshalla, which, they claim, is four years old, is a favourite go-to place for the kids. And as Ed Sheeran plays in the background, I'm amused to find both of them lip-syncing to Shape of You.

The toddler and younger children's play areas are clearly demarcated.âu00c2u0080u00c2u0088So, both the girls head straight to a very large sandpit (I've seen smaller sandpits in parks), and get busy. Not many know that playing with sand is an important part of pre-primary curriculum, and is also a reason why most kindergartens have one period dedicated to kids doing the same. It helps develop fine motor skills, enhances hand-eye coordination, fosters imagination and role play - both crucial for cognitive development. Besides, it has a calming effect on children as the feel of sand promotes sensory development. Moreover, caregivers can supervise the kids from a short distance and create an independent play experience.

Playing with sand also provides opportunities for children to develop muscles when they dig, shovel, lift, carry, tunnel and rake. At Funshalla, the periphery of the sandpit has a range of toys. Just beyond is a fish tank, and fountains. I have a feeling that even if I do not cajole the kids into exploring the rest of Funshalla, they will be happy in the pit.

I glance around and spot a giant block section, a soft gym for toddlers and baby slides and rocking horses, and I immediately know that this is the kind of place most schools would head to if they wanted to take their kindergartners for a morning out. And I am right. Just before we walked in, a playschool had brought in their toddlers for a picnic.

But since we have only an hour, I cajole the two young divas to an older children's section and they are game. This section has slides, a foam pool, trampoline, rappelling and wall climbing, bridge walking and a rope zone. The girls choose the rope zone, for which they have to wear special shoes that Funshalla provides. After they are carefully strapped and helmeted, they set off. At the end of it all, there's so much to do at Funshalla that 90 minutes don't seem enough.

Fact file
Where: Funshalla, Jetha Compound, Dr BR Ambedkar Road, Daku Prabhuchi Wadi, Byculla East.
Best for: Boys and girls, two to 14-year-olds.
How to reach: Get off at Byculla station and take a cab to Jetha compound.
Timings: Every day, 11 am to 10 pm
Budget: '500 per head on weekdays for 90 mins, (for kids between three and five years of age, it is '400 per head for 90 mins, on weekdays). '100 more for weekends.
Food: Lovely cafeteria with food inside the premise, large seating area.
Water: Available
Restroom facilities: Yes
Where else to go: Rani Baug is in the same complex; older kids can visit the Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum near the zoo.
What's Good: Sufficient amount of knowledgeable staff. Clean play zones, including the sandpit.
What's Not So Good: The foam in the foam pool seemed a bit chewed out.

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