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A trip to the Jungle Java

I’m always looking for things for our family to do.  Now that it’s getting cold, I am search of more indoor activities for us.  Oakland Mall has closed their indoor play area and replaced it with their Santa exhibit.  I guess there is no where else, in that huge mall, to put Santa.  Because usually they put him smack dab in the middle of the mall over the fountain. But if they put him there where will the old men sit?  Moving on.

So, dh and I, well mostly dh, got online and looked for something for us to do.  I was looking for an indoor play area for Rosaleigh.  Since she is almost 17 months old, McDonald’s and Burger King are a little too big for her and I didn’t want to drive to Lakeside again, besides I don’t care for the play area much anyway.

Chancellor found a place called Jungle Java.

The Farmington Hills location is the closest location to our house, so we decided to check it out.  Admission is $3 for children 12 months to 23 months, $6.50 for children 2 and older and free for adults and infants.  (check website for current prices and specials)

Upon entering we were greeted by a smiling staff member who welcomed us to Jungle Java and asked us to pay and sign in.  We then proceeded to a coat and cubbie area where we took off our shoes and coats.

They have a small toddler area tucked away near the front of the store with two slides that were easily navigated by Rosa.  They also had an alligator and zebra to climb on, interesting jungle artwork murals, and a random tree stump.

The floor was padded and the toddler area was blocked off with about a foot and a half tall cushion that Rosa could easily climb over.  Comfortable seating was available both inside and outside of the play area.

Rosa played in the toddler area for about twenty minutes before she wanted to move on to the big kids area.  By this time I had exhausted my battery on my camera.  But check out some of the pictures of the larger play structure on the Jungle Java website.

Rosa headed over to a mini basketball area where they had five brightly colored kick balls, a basketball hoop and very padded floor.  The area was all netted off so the balls remained in the vicinity.  The hoop was too tall for her to even attempt alone, but she did have fun throwing and rolling the balls.  She was even more thrilled when daddy helped her dunk her kick ball.  There were a couple of times when there was a child left wanting one of the five balls, it would have been nice to have one or two more.

Next we checked out the slides.  Three bumpy slides, side by side, provided entertainment for at least five goes.  She easily navigated the padded ramp to get to the slide platform, but the last step served as a barrier between her and the slide, as it did for many other younger children.  Luckily the structure is able to be used by adults, so I followed her to help.

We explored the upper levels of the play structure.  She was not able to climb up most of the steps, so again I assisted her.  She enjoyed looking down to all of the people, and waving to Daddy.  We went down the twisting slide and by that time she was ready for a nap.

We headed back to the cubbie area and put on our shoes and coats.  I’m sad to say that I was going to ask for information on the three month passes, but none of the three employees who were chatting with each other came over to say goodbye.  We signed out and left.

Overall, I was really impressed.  We had a great time.  The store was really clean, including the bathrooms.  The other patrons seemed to be monitoring their children much more attentively than what I have experienced in the local mall play areas.  Jungle Java does offer a variety of coffee drinks, smoothies and children’s items, although we didn’t try anything.  They also offer a variety of birthday party packages.

I highly recommend this place.  I just wish it was a little closer to where we live so we could visit more often.  I would gladly pay $3 for all the benefits over playing at the Mall.

Amber Louchart
Author: Amber Louchart

Amber is the proud mother to four beautiful children, Damian (27), Rosaleigh (14), Carlyn (11), and Naomi (8). Her family also includes four cats. She loves being a stay-at-home mom and feels blessed to be able to care for her children full-time and provide them with so many opportunities through Metro Detroit Mommy. In addition to Metro Detroit Mommy, Amber has a passion for hosting karaoke with Malibu Entertainment.  She enjoys the metro Detroit nightlife especially, singing, dancing and meeting new people.