We Are Pirates: The Indoor Playground for Very Active Tots

An invisible siren was calling out to my children, drawing them closer to her within the brightly lit We are Pirates play zone. Her song was a mix of children’s excited squeals and plastic balls being dived into, and the attraction was so strong the stroller straps could barely keep my two tots down.

I wheeled the kids towards the source of their excitement and decided to give this place a try. By the entrance is a small tarp where their prices are listed, and I have to admit I didn’t like what I saw at first.

The play zone is divided into four parts: the sensory area, the kiddie rides zone, the giant bouncy pirate ship, and the huge jungle gym with its ball pit. According to the cashier, a one-time entry fee in just one section of the play zone will cost me RMB 80.

What?!

The 799 RMB package, however, is for fifteen visits to this indoor playground, each visit costing about 54RMB.

Sneaky, sneaky pricing. Maybe the owners really were pirates.

First off was the jungle gym in the ball pit.

Up the stairs and down the slide my kids went, giggling and squealing all the way. When they finally got bored, my older daughter called my attention to a pair of swings beneath the jungle gym. I confess that we ended up hogging it for a few minutes because with each push came my kids’ hearty laughs, each one tugging at my heartstrings. It drew the attention of envious little onlookers who dared not approach for fear of being hit with flying kicks!

Fortunately my younger one needed a calming down session and saw the giant foam blocks by the corner. There she proceeded to build a fortress against imaginary intruders. My older one, however, was out for some action.

And so off she ran into the pumped up pirate ship, bouncing off walls and jumping everywhere like an escaped kangaroo. Her happiness was so contagious that my littler daughter tried to join in the fun. Unfortunately, her nerves couldn’t handle the never ending earthquake and the sight of giant children bouncing everywhere. Sooner than later she decided to abandon ship. She practically ran into my arms and looked at me, her eyes screaming, “Why did you let me go in there?!”

We headed for softer seas in the next section, where the younger children rode mini merry-go-rounds, jumped with frogs and slid down dry waterfalls. The pond with colorful fish inside was initially a curious sight for my kids as well.

The leftmost section was a sensory pit, its treasures a mix of tiny trucks and your usual sand toys. A warning though: I recommend putting on pants on the younger children before entering this section. These giant grains are small enough that they even got into my daughter’s socks and made her squirm a bit because it made her feel uncomfortable.

For kids who prefer the craftier side of a pirate’s life, the arts and crafts section in the middle of the giant playground is just perfect for them. Older children can gather around the kiddie table and do some activities while waiting for their younger siblings to faint from happy exhaustion.

Since this is just one of Yuyuto’s many branches, if you have a Yuyuto card (that’s not exclusively tied to one branch) then you’ll also be able to use it here.

So ahoy ye scalawags, get ready for an adventure. Come and show them that We Are Pirates!

To get here: Take Subway Line #10 and get off at Taiyanggong Station, Exit C.

We Are Pirates by Yuyuto
Open Every Day. 10am-10pm. 3F Capital Mall, Taiyanggong Branch 北京太阳宫凯德店 北京市朝阳区太阳宫中路12号凯德MALL3层 (010-84297112) Maximum height 130 cm.

Changping Pirate Locations
Open Every Day. 10am-10pm. Tang Road Longde Plaza No. 186 北京市昌平区立汤路186号龙德广场 (010-84812310)
Open Every Day. 10am-9.30pm. Huilongguan West Street, No. 111 Beijing Hualian Department Store 北京市昌平区回龙观西大街111号华联百货 (010-50954900)

Shunyi Pirate Location
Open Every Day. 10am-10pm. Aetna Street Jiu COFCO Auspicious Clouds Town 北京市顺义区安泰大街九号院中粮祥云小镇 (010-80477192)