Jump Zone

Tonight, I picked up DJ from Eleanor and Sonny's, and I took him to meet Damian and Leo at Jump Zone in Owings Mills.  The place is basically one big warehouse of massive moonbounces.  For $7.50, DJ (and I) could have free reign of all of the moonbounces for 2 hours.  Granted, DJ and I didn't arrive right when open play started, so DJ got an hour and 15 minutes.

The moonbounces were pretty cool.  Some were your standard moonbounces... nothing but "flat" moonbounce surface enclosed with mesh so that no one can fall out.   Others were equipped with slides and obstacle courses.  The one DJ started in was the Sesame Street themed one that is targeted for toddlers.  It was perfect for DJ to get comfortable with the whole play format.  It had a little slide, and lots of accessories with which to play.  First, he had to get used to the whole bouncing format.  That alone made him nervous until we started bouncing together.  Then when he realized it was safe AND fun, he started exploring.

DJ is adventurous, but sometimes you have to show him how to be adventurous.  In this case, it meant that I needed to take his hand and lead him to another moonbounce, and crawl/bounce through it with him.  But he was willing to do it with me despite initial protests.  We did the little obstacle course and its slide, and he had a big smile on his face.

But then we did the biggest slide in the place.  It was a huge climb, and DJ did it all by himself.  I was behind him, but I didn't have to help him at all.  Then we went down this super slide together.  I'll post pictures of this monster thing when Damian sends them to me.  Not only did DJ love this slide, he kept going back for more.  And let me tell you, this climb made me tired, so I can't even imagine how tired he was after all of that effort.  We probably climbed that slide 10 times tonight in addition to all the other moonbounces we went on.

While DJ was in the Sesame Street moonbounce, Damian said he'd watch DJ so that Leo could show me the "big" obstacle course.  That was really fun!  There's a place where you literally have to squeeze through... and it was a squeeze!

But that hour and 15 mins was more than enough... when I told him it was time to go, he didn't fight me at all.  He was beat.  Heck, I was beat.  That was a lot of work!!  It was all worth it, though, because DJ had a ball, and he went to bed without even protesting.  I only stayed in his room about 5 minutes after I turned out the light, and we haven't heard a peep from him!