Yashica Alexander is happy that she doesn’t have to take her six-year-old daughter, Anaya Nair, to “the same beach or the overcrowded park” any more to keep her engaged. These days, the Delhi-born stay-at-home mother residing at Kuravankonam is glad to drive down to Play House: The Kids’ Club along the Vellayambalam-Sasthamangalam road. “Just as my daughter gets to meet other kids of her age and have fun during play dates, I get to socialise with mothers of other kids,” she says. With a host of activity-based choices to keep kids engaged, independent indoor play areas are becoming popular “hangout spots” for children outside school hours. With wall climbers with foam pits, obstacle courses, trampoline, role play features, slides and ball pool, the indoor play areas become a perfect place to wean children away from “the screens” in this digital age and involve them in some much-needed physical activity. “We have made it a policy not to include any ‘technology-driven’ form of amusement for kids. The idea is to let children have some fun through play. At their age, kids possess a lot of energy and they love to vent it out in a positive, engaging way,” says Shaman M Hanif, proprietor of Play House. A boy having fun at Pitter Patter near Thycaud | Photo Credit: S MAHINSHA The former IT professional, a father of two, says he struck upon the idea of opening a “kids’ club” after organising theme-based birthday parties for children of his kith and kin. “Such an environment helps improve kids’ creativity and motor abilities. Take for example, the role play, a.k.a pretend play, concept where in a social environment like a hospital or garage or supermarket is simulated. Through cooperative play, children learn how to take turns, share responsibility and solve problems,” says Shaman. Kids having fun at Pitter Patter near Thycaud | Photo Credit: S MAHINSHA Open from 11 am till 10 at night, the play zone comes with child-friendly safety features such as an electromagnetic gate and CCTV cameras. “Once a child and the parents enter the play area, we lock the short enclosure gate to ensure that kids cannot leave without accompaniment,” says Shaman. Seating for parents is designed to offer a panoramic view of the place to ensure that they can keep a watch on their wards at all times while still “letting them be free.” At Pitter Patter: The Kids’ Fun Centre at Kannettumukku near Thycaud, kids can also avail of the ‘reading zone’ where scores of popular story books are arranged on a long shelf that doubles up as a lending library. “We have also started organising story reading sessions for kids. It becomes an ideal combination of physical as well as mental activities,” says former IT professional Rashmi Nair, who started Pitter Patter along with her colleague Nithya R Sarma. Mother of a five-year-old boy, Rashmi says she decided to set up their own play area after she found herself “at a loss to find out where to take my son on weekends.” Kids have fun during an Avengers-themed birthday party at Play House near Vellayambalam. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement The play centres work on a pay-per-hour basis where in parents can bring their their kids for short entertaining sessions. Keeping hygiene high priority, wearing socks before entering the play areas is mandatory. “We try not to use chemical products while cleaning the place and instead go for milder alternatives like vinegar,” says Nithya. Predictably, Friday evening till Sunday night turns out to be peak hours. The recreational centres, which remain open on all days, also have “party zones”, serving as a platform to host theme-based birthday parties for kids. So kids, come rain or shine, any time is fun time now. A close encounter with people and places in the city

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