Cooney and his wife Tatiana decided to invest nearly half a million dollars to build the facility about a year and a half ago.
“My wife was going out with her friend and all of the kids…they were going to an indoor playground down in Cincinnati. My wife jokingly said we should do something like this up in our area,” said Cooney, father of three children ages 2, 3 and 5.
When she returned, the pair that run a wedding videography company decided they could make it happen.
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They first started looking for a space, which was harder than it seemed, Cooney said. They needed a good location that also had high enough ceilings.
Then the Cooneys worked with a company in Canada that designs playgrounds. The indoor playground has slides, obstacles and a talking tube.
To build the playground, the Cooneys told Atomic Playgrounds what kind of slides and other aspects they wanted to include. Then Atomic assessed the building’s format, drew up the plans, built the parts, shipped them to Springboro and started to install the fast food restaurant-style indoor playground.
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The playground is designed for children up to 12 and there is a Toddler Zone for children up to age 2, Cooney said. Parents will be able to keep an eye on children of all ages in the middle of both playgrounds.
“We wanted parents to be able to easily see their children at all times…we want parents to feel safe when their kids are here,” Cooney said. “This is a place built for kids, but with parents in mind.”
Up to 150 children can use the playground at once. Admission is $5 for children younger than 2 and $10 for children 3 and older.
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Monday and Wednesday hours will be 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday; 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. There will be opportunities on Sunday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. to rent the whole facility.
Once a month there will also be special time set for children with special needs where Kid Clubhouse will lower the lights and music.
The company will hire eight to 10 employees beginning around the new year and a snack bar will be available, Cooney said.
“We want to offer healthier options as well. We don’t just want nachos and hot dogs,” he said. “You’ll see fruits and vegetables at our concession stands.”
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