What is it about the indoor soft play centers in Beijing? A while back I was planning my daughter’s fourth birthday party. During that season of deliberation, I had the brilliant idea to host the party at an indoor soft play playground. As I was researching venues, I was struck by the astronomical prices of some of these places. I kid you not, one mall-based establishment was actually charging RMB 268 for a two-hour play session.

I believe in investing in the youth and providing stimulating learning environments but there’s just a part of me that doesn’t see why it should cost the equivalent of over £20 to jump around in multi-colored plastic balls (like they’re even BPA-free).

When a friend introduced me to the soft play facility at Dynasty Garden Clubhouse (丽斯花园), the experience really helped to restore my faith in the fact that not every child-focused establishment in this city is a rip-off.

Admittedly, this playground is smaller and perhaps a bit more trickier to get to than some of it’s extortionately priced counterparts, but at RMB 30 per child it’s worth putting in the extra effort to visit. Besides, the cozy environment lends itself very nicely to being the venue for a playdate or even a children’s party. The compact size of the room means that children can truly be let loose to freely explore the various playful contraptions. There is comfortable padded seating where parents can sit and chat without the need to constantly pause the conversation and run around a mammoth sized facility in search of one’s child.

In addition to the chilled and relaxed vibe that results from it never being overrun with patrons, this place is super clean which I particularly appreciate because I have a thing about grotty soft play equipment (especially the ball pits).

In terms of scale, this playground is definitely not on a par with some of the larger, more popular indoor centers. My three children (who are all under the age of four) enjoy playing here. However, older kids might just be underwhelmed. In any case, this playground is only for children under the height of 130cm.

The closest subway station is China International Exhibition Center.  From the subway station it’s a short bus journey (bus 31) to Dynasty Garden.

Although this playground is located in the clubhouse of an upmarket gated community, it’s open to the general public. To reiterate the words of the receptionist, “Anyone under 130cm can play here as long as they purchase a ticket”. So, if you’re looking for a sensibly priced, indoor, air-conditioned, soft-play playground, this place could be for you.

Dynasty Garden Clubhouse (丽斯花园)

RMB 30 for children. Daily 10.00am-9.30pm. Dynasty Garden, 16 Tianzhu Street, Shunyi DIstrict (6457 0623) 北京市顺义区天竺开发街16号丽斯花园会所 

For more of Pamela’s writing about life in Beijing, visit her blog: www.itisreal.net

Photos: Pamela Djima

Beijing may have its first Architizer A+ Award winner this year – and a kid-friendly design nonetheless. This year inKIDS with LINE FRIENDS Playground, which beijingkids introduced in September, is in the running for the award and, at the time of writing, the design is among the top two in the Recreation Centers category. Since 2013 Architizer.com, one the largest online architectural platforms worldwide, has hosted its Popular Choice competition for unique architectural designs and products.

The inKIDS with LINE FRIENDS Playground, located on the third floor of the Yintai Centre in Guomao, opened in 2016 and features a ball pit with beautiful clear plastic balls as well as white netting running across the open space of the upper floor where kids can bounce around above their parents’ heads. The space also has a café and sitting area for parents who want to relax while their children frolic and play.

Voting is open until Friday, March 31, 2017 for those interested in supporting this original Beijing architectural work. The playground is listed under “Recreational Centers” on the website.

The slide and ball pit area in inKIDS and LINE FRIENDS playground. Featuring a LINE FRIENDS bunny.

Let your kids roam free in this clean, sleek ball pit.

Photos courtesy of inKIDS and LINE FRIENDS.