From looking at the weather reports yesterday, I knew that today was going to be rainy. We slept in (yay, thanks Mason) and headed out just before 11am to Kerrisdale.
Checking out their website prior to leaving confirmed the address which is 41st and East BLVD (or better known as the Mc’Donalds corner). Their website is here.
We found it easily and turned South on E BLVD to find parking. There is plenty of parking, just not a lot of free spots. I ended up circling around and parking in the ‘cheaper’ lot on the other side of the tracks which had a sign that boasted .75 per hour. They have a parking pay machine which was a bit of a walk with an anxious to play Toddler and I was happy to see they took credit cards and change because I no longer carry a credit card!
I threw in 2 hours worth of change and we found a spot on the tracks to cut through (opposed to walking all the way around). Upon entering the building, we realized that this was the Kerrisdale Ice Area (never been before) and it looks like it hasn’t been updated since the 80’s. A sign outside announced the 5 different bday parties going on throughout the building. The line up wasn’t long and I handed over $4.00 for Mason’s entrance fee (accompanying adults are free J ). The sign said to remove shoes so we did and there wasn’t really anywhere to put them but along a short wall. There were cubbies but not for the hundred or so occupants. I wore my jacket in but it would have been better left int eh car. I had a backpack for the rest of the stuff.
As soon as I said, “GO” Mason took of running to the end of the arena. There are three bouncy castles for a range of ages. Half the length of the area is devoted to a ‘toddler’ section which was ‘fenced in’ and had plenty for the little ones to do. Slides, soft blocks, a little tykes house, a bouncy castle and dump trucks galore to push around. The walls served as seats for parents.
Another section was set up for a larger bouncy castle complete with climbing wall to a larger slide. Mason attempted to climb the wall himself and was quickly assisted by a 9 year old but he was just too small to make it to the top. I even attempted to boost him up but it didn’t work. So I had to explain that he was just too little. He didn’t like that explanation and had a minor meltdown. Across from this bouncy castle is another which was perfect for Mason’s age complete with slide. Mason was able to climb the steps without help and go down a fun slide. There were a few ‘boppy’ things for him to hit and try to climb. In the far corner is another bouncy slide but it’s for an older child as the steps are quite steep and would need adult assistance. From what I could tell, there weren’t any parents going up too. (this slide was almost the same as the one Mason and I went down for Hats Off Day in Burnaby).
Another section of the area was cordoned off for little trikes and push cars, complete with a bucket of helmets (no straps). For this area it was clear that 75% of the kids were not supervised and therefore waiting for your turn could mean at least a half hour as there was no policing of turns. Luckily after waiting about 5 mins, we snatched up a little slider toy. We saw some friends so after about 7 mins we gave the toy up.
In the front of the arena is a section set up for basketball and some ping-pong tables.
Mason had a good opportunity to play with everything in an hour and by this time it was time to go. Overall it was worth $5.50 including parking and a good idea for a rainy day.
For a quick video of the Palace click here.
Here are the pros and cons:
PROS
- Good price
- Ample & cheap parking
- Bathroom has a baby change station
- Great place for the 3 and under crowd
CONS
- No ID bracelet or closed doors so you must keep a watch on your child at all times
- No concession or food available (Mc’Donalds is next door)
- Washroom was clean but smelled badly of urine
- Wait times for the trike area + no straps on the helmets
- No place for jacket and boots
- Parents ignore shoe rule so floor may be wet in spots (rude)