Westside Indoor Playground (WIPG) is a co-op of local parents who gather almost daily and set up a gigantic indoor playground for their children, age 5 and under. It is a lifesaver – especially during these chronically cold and wet days of winter. You know the giant plastic slides and climbing structures and really cool ride-on toys you wish you owned but don’t have room for and don’t want to spend money on? WIPG has multitudes of ALL those things. There is a roller coaster, two giant climbing structures, a mini trampoline, see-saw, lots of bouncing, rocking plastic animals and dozens of tricycles, wagons, and cars. There are giant building blocks, tunnels, and buckets of toys, books and puzzles. AND YES, there is an area reserved for babies and walkers complete with exer-saucers and tiny climbing structures. What I enjoy the most is getting to connect with other parents as our children learn to socialize with one another. This is especially enjoyable at the seasonal parties where co-op members come together to celebrate Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, etc. Each child walks away from the party with a little gift, a craft, and a belly full of some healthy snacks (and maybe a sugar-y treat or two). Many indoor drop-in rates for a place like this (gymnastics studios, trampoline parks, etc.) charge a minimum of $5 per child for one hour. The cost for WIPG? For your entire family to join for January through June of 2015, it is just $40. Your only other commitment is to help set up or tear down the play area two times a month, to participate in a toy-cleaning once per quarter, and to serve on a committee that requires about an hour of your time each quarter. That’s it. You can attend WIPG as often as you like, for as long as you like with this great deal! The WIPG has been meeting at Bethesda Lutheran Church in West Eugene on 4445 Royal Avenue for nearly two decades. The church generously donates a large play space and storage area for WIPG. You do not have to be a member of the church to join WIPG as it is not a religious organization. The relationship between the church and the co-op is just a great example of the caring, generous virtue within our Eugene community. Currently, WIPG gathers 9am-11:30am on M/W/F and 9am-1pm on T/TH (in accordance with the Bethel School District calendar). As enticing as WIPG may be sounding to you right about now, it may also sound a little germ-tastic. But the WIPG maintains a very clean environment by having disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizer available, stringently deep-cleaning the toys on a regular basis, and upholding a sick policy. I am so glad we decided to join almost a year and a half ago. It is where my oldest son perfected his pedaling skills, where my youngest son wore his first Halloween costume, and where I have met many kind, compassionate and creative friends. In the warmer months we find ourselves naturally scheduling meet-ups at nearby parks and farms. GoMomGo readers- You are invited to try a FREE week! Just contact Westside Indoor Playground via the WIPG Facebook page & mention this post for one FREE week pass valid January 27-February 28, 2015 Awesome! The Details:
Westside Indoor Playground 4445 Royal Avenue, Eugene Monday, Wednesday, Friday 9am-11:30am Tuesday and Thursday 9am-1pm $40 January through June 2015 WIPG Facebook page ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Christy Rice is a mom to two great boys. They love to explore all that Lane County has to offer. Christy is a superstar at researching & finding awesome picks & deals for GoMomGo! Check out more of her posts here.
1 Comment
Megan
1/26/2015 02:58:49 am
WIPG is such a fun place to play. My big boy is always asking to go play at "the place with all the cars". :)
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