Indoor Fun in Orlando: Puzzles Playplace in Hunter's Creek

8/11/13 Update: Sad to hear this place is going out of business soon. I really did like it a lot better than its competitors!

When I need an indoor play spot but don't feel like driving all the way to Monkey Joe's we often visit Puzzles in Hunter's Creek. Puzzles is a lot smaller than Monkey Joe's but my daughter enjoys it just the same. I really appreciate the premise behind Puzzles and although it is slightly more expensive for a toddler and there is slightly less to do than at Monkey Joe's, I am happy to give them my business for that reason.

Puzzles was founded as a place to teach employment and independent living skills to young adults with developmental disabilities. Many of the employees fall somewhere on the autism spectrum and Puzzles is big on promoting autism awareness. Some of its walls are even painted with the colorful puzzle pieces that symbolize autism. I have found the employees at Puzzles to be nothing but friendly and helpful. I really appreciate that unlike the employees at Monkey Joe's, they seem to actually watch the place and enforce the rules. They make their presence known throughout the playplace (especially when it is busy) and are not afraid to tell children to stop running (as is posted in the rules) or to politely ask older children to leave the one bounce house they have reserved for younger children.

When you walk into Puzzles you immediately encounter the check-in desk, which is where you pay and fill out the registration/liability form. Admission is $10 for kids 5 and up, $7 for 4 and under for unlimited bounce time. I visited with a friend a few times when my daughter was under one and they did not charge for her. There are packages available for multiple admissions at a reduced price. The employee that checks you in gives matching wristbands to parents and their child(ren), which they also check and cut off before you leave. You are required to wear socks in the bounce houses but if you forgot your child's at home they have some available for purchase. In addition to socks, they also have a small selection of autism awareness products available for purchase.
After you pay your child is free to play for as long as they want. Parking is free and plentiful in the lot right in front of Puzzles so need to worry about going over the time limit of a parking garage.
Puzzles is divided into two separate rooms and the party rooms are in the middle of the two. The first room you enter, Room #1, is where the check-in desk is. Just beyond the check-in desk is an area with several tables for parents to sit at and tables and booths to sit and eat at. This is also the room where the concession stand is. Prices for the food are very reasonable ($2.00 for a slice of pizza or hot dog, $1.00 for a juice box, etc). Absolutely no outside food is allowed in and there are signs on the door stating that and this rule is enforced, although I have always brought in a sippy cup for my daughter and a bottle of water for me and that seems to be okay. In addition to meals they also have plenty of snacks for purchase like ice cream, chips, candy bars, etc. You can purchase a whole pizza if you are there with multiple children to save a little $.

Room #1 also has the one bounce house reserved for toddlers/younger children. Older children are allowed inside as well but whenever my toddler has been playing in it and there are several older children in it or just one that is acting a little too rowdy I've always had an employee come over and politely ask them to get out. Since it is close to the check-in desk, it is easy for them to monitor. I really appreciate the fact that they make the effort to keep the younger children safe.

Room #1 also has a very small selection of video games and other coin operated games. These are not included in the admission price and you need to buy tokens to play them, but tokens were very reasonably priced and most games only require 1-2 tokens.

The way Room #1 is set up it is very easy to sit and relax while your toddler plays in the bounce house. It is easy to keep an eye on them from both the tables and the booths and if you are sitting at the tables they would have to pass by you to get to Room #2, which has the bigger bounce items and an air hockey table. Room #2 also has shelves to put your shoes on and several benches and chairs scattered throughout for parents to sit on and watch their children.

The way Room #2 is set up it is one big, long, narrow room. The bounce houses line the walls on either side. A row of windows to the outside with chairs in front of them to sit on line the front wall and the back wall has an inflatable structure that is more like a court with two sides to it that has several soft foam balls in it that kids can use to play team games and throw across the inflatable "net" in the middle (not an actual net, it is just a slightly raised inflatable wall).

Most of the bounce structures in Room #2 are geared towards preschool age and up, however, my daughter was able to do all of them independently at age two, even the one with the large slide. The entrances to the bounce houses are a little bit higher than what we've encountered at other places so your toddler may need a little bit of help getting in and out. the raised circle entrances also make it more difficult for a parent to get in and out if they need to retrieve their child for any reason but if you asked one of the teenage staff members I'm sure they'd be happy to help if need be. 

I really like the set-up of Puzzles because it is easy to keep track of where my daughter is so I can actually sit and read a book or socialize for a little while while she is playing. I do not have to worry about her getting lost in a big, open room. The drawback is that all of the inflatables in Room #2 really are geared towards older children so if your child is under two or a more hesitant two year old (not a daredevil like mine) there really isn't a whole lot for them to do. My daughter really enjoys all of the bounce houses in this room but when I took her when she was a new walker the only thing she really enjoyed was playing in the court inflatable in the back, which is lined with colorful foam squares.
Overall I think Puzzles is a great playplace for older toddlers, preschool, and young elementary aged kids. It is clean and the attentive staff tries their best to keep the kids in the place from getting out of control. It may cost slightly more than Monkey Joe's and have slightly less to do but I love that it supports young adults with developmental disabilities and that I can sit and relax for a little while but still be able to keep track of my little one while she is playing so it is a place I will gladly return to again and again.