Having a mall of a time

Jumble Tumble is just as its name proclaims it to be - a place to tumble around. An indoor play space at R Mall, Mulund's first mall, it has all the accoutrements of a soft play place - a ball pool, trampoline park, zipline, and mazes to crawl through.

Since I no longer have kids who can pass off as 10-year-olds, I walk in pretending that I have a birthday party to host and I am there to check the place. It is new and colourful, and there are kids whizzing all around.

Vanitha Ramchandani

The soft play area is divided into two sections and seems to have been thought through. The purpose is clear - to build zones to suit different ages and stages of development. I can see giant blocks that invite me to stack and build, using my gross motor muscles, while games built on the wall are there for the children to pinch and finger-pull, and also to calm down and use for down-time after all the jumping.

The toddler zone play area is specifically designed with smaller movers in mind, namely crawling babies. Within the area, there are soft climbing steps leading up to a platform, where a padded slide down will land you into the blast of colours that is the ball pool. There are rumblers and baskets; the music is upbeat; and the bright colours, soft equipment and challenging physical activities are all readily available to provide a fun and stimulating play experience.

And there are also plenty of things to jump around on, what with the trampoline park that slides into a foam pool. There is something about a trampoline that makes kids laugh, giggle and, well, bounce around. There are a handful of kids doing just that, while another bunch chases each other through the various slides and crawlspace that dip invitingly into the ball pool. No matter how pretty a play space is, it becomes more fun only with a friend.

The good part of Jumble Tumble (JT) is that if you have older kids, who don't want to crawl and jump around, next door is their very own virtual-reality gaming experience. JT claims to be Mulund's first multiplayer-virtual-reality-experience-arcade; whatever that means. What it means is that there are three games to be played - cricket, shoot-the-alien-bug (up to three players can play this simultaneously) and walking-the-plank (called Vertigo VR). In all the games, you are fitted with a virtual-reality headset and transported to virtually-simulated space.

As we stand there, one 10-year-old is fitted for the Vertigo VR and panics as she is transported several thousand feet in the sky and expected to balance on a wobbly plank. She wants out. Her mother takes over and seems to love the nerve-wracking test of one's fear of heights, along with fire and bird attack that come with it.

If you are a parent of young children and live in and around Mulund, go for it.

Safety Tip:
While there is a handful of staff keeping an eye on the children, it is better to be around as the premise is in a mall and strangers can walk in, unquestioned.

Fact File

Where: Jumble Tumble, R Mall, LBS Marg, Mulund West
Best for: Boys and girls, three years and upwards
How to reach: We took the road via LBS Marg, but if you prefer the train, - which is easier and quicker - get off at Mulund station, exit at the west side and hitch an auto.
Timings: 12 pm to 8 pm, all days
Budget: Depending on what you choose, '150 upwards, weekdays
Food: JT has an in-house cafeteria; the mall has restaurants and food courts. Food is not allowed inside the softplay zones.
Water: Available
Rest Room facilities: Mall restroom
Where else to go: In R Mall, try Jammin' or Koko Kids. Thane has Let's Play and The Riot Room.

Parent Poll: Plenty of things to keep your kids occupied. An ideal place for Mulund residents who have young kids looking for a fun place to host a birthday party. Rating: JJJ
Kids' Poll: Loved it, didn't want to leave the VR section.
Rating:

What's Good: While the toddler zone has enough for babies and young ones to play, if you have slightly older kids, then you have the option of heading straight to the VR area and have fun, virtually.
What's Not So Good: No restrooms in the premises

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