Winter in Ottawa isn’t always easy. This year has brought us a LOT of snow, freezing rain, and frigid temperatures – it can leave kids and adults feeling a little stir crazy. I know the importance of having some great options for an indoor space and play place to let the kids run around and burn off some energy. A while back I wrote a post about some of Ottawa’s BEST PLACES TO LET THE KIDS RUN WILD – and now I have a new one to add to the list!

Bubblesea Adventures is a brand new indoor play place in Nepean, just along Merivale Road. This week I took my three year old daughter Rowan, along with my friend and her son, to go and check this spot out for ourselves.

I was immediately struck by the size of the Bubblesea Adventures play structure. It is really huge, with multiple levels, tunnels, slides and more. It was perfect for my three year old (almost four), as there was a ton for her to explore without losing interest. I imagine, with a younger child you might end up having to follow them inside at times just to help them navigate their way around!

There are a few separate areas for babies and toddlers too, including a ball pit, some mini cars and trikes and one spot that is for ‘two years old and younger’ specifically. The entire play area has soft, foamy flooring (that looks like the ocean) and is pretty great for crawlers and those toddlers who are still not very steady on their feet.

Some of the other things I really liked about Bubblesea Adventures:

• It wasn’t too busy when we were there. We went on a Wednesday morning, so I can’t yet tell you what weekends are like, but I was pleasantly surprised with how uncrowded it was.
• The variety of activities: multiple large ball pit areas, lots of slides, a trampoline, tubing slides (my first time seeing that indoors), obstacle courses, a zip line for kids 6 years old and older, and more.
• The cleanliness. The front entryway where you first come in was a little disheveled looking, but once you are into the play place everything was spotless.
• There are no “pay-to-play” arcade games. Sometimes those arcade games at other indoor play areas are such a pain. My kids are always asking for money to play when I wish they’d just go run around instead. There are none of these at Bubblesea Adventures.
• The side rooms. There are three rooms that can be used as party rooms for birthdays, but otherwise they are open with sand tables, lego tables, magformers and puzzles.
• They use a number system to keep track of parents/care givers and their children. So you can feel safe that a stranger would not be able to walk out with your kid.
• They are open 7 days a week, from 10 am into the evening. So lots of time to drop-in whenever works for you!

Some of the things that were not my favourite:

• The admission prices are not cheap. Babies under 1 year old are $7, or free with a paying sibling. 1-2 years old are $17.49, 3-14 years old are $21.99. One adult is free, a second adult is $10.00. At these prices I would consider a trip to Bubblesea Adventures a special treat for my kids, unless we went for the membership, which gives unlimited play for $159.99, and $129.99 for a sibling. I do know families that have purchased the membership and have already been 5 times or more.
• I could have used more seating for parents. There are a few benches around the edges of Bubblesea Adventures, but I would have loved more areas to sit (especially as my daughter was old enough that I didn’t have to follow her everywhere)
• Kinda going hand in hand with the last point…I sort of wish there was a seating area where I could get a coffee! There is a cafe, but it is outside the play area, totally separate. You could not have a coffee and still watch your kids. I guess this helps keep the entire area cleaner, but I sure would have loved a coffee….

Overall, if the price doesn’t scare you off, I would definitely recommend trying out Bubblesea Adventures. It is ALWAYS good to have another indoor play place option. I felt that my daughter was the perfect age for it – I think kids in the 2-6 years old range will get the most out of everything Bubblesea has to offer. When we left my daughter said to me, “Mommy, thank you so much for bringing me. I had so much fun.” So, well, I guess it was a winner.