Pump It Up!

Today, we went to the 'free play' at this place called "Pump It Up". It's a big warehouse full of bouncers like the kind you find at a child's birthday party but bigger. When we arrived Leo was ecstatic. He ran straight into a jumper and had the best 2 minutes of his life, then...it collapsed...on him. I know I shouldn't find it so humorous, but I can't help it.

After the jumper incident, I couldn't get him to go back in. So, for 45 minutes he pushed around a Little Tykes car happy as can be. As always, he played off to the side by himself. I wish he would play with other kids, but he just observes and steers clear of any one else. Finally, he found a small jumper off to the side that was empty except for one other kid who was just a few months younger and he gained some confidence. It had an obstacle course which lead to a 10' slide. He scoped it out, and decided it wasn't for him. He was happy in the open jumping space, where Mommy sat waiting and he could easily escape should it collapse again.

Finally, Leo's adventurous side won out and the kiddie stuff just wasn't enough. We moved to a bouncer the next size up and he was intrigued. The bigger kids kept running through, climbing this wall which lead to a 15' slide. He tried to climb the wall and fell. He then decided Mom should hold him while she climbed the wall...he quickly found that that just wouldn't work. He continued playing in the bouncer, but each time the older kids came through, he would stop and watch. He watched and watched...then he went for it. He made it. He managed to climb to the top. After 3 or 4 times, he decided the big boy slide was what he wanted. 20' feet. He climbed the wall, made it to the top, much easier might I add, and went over and over again, all by his lonesome.

He had a great time and after a week of being cooped up in the house, this was exactly what we needed to burn some energy. I'm thinking we'll have to do this one again.