Open Gym at The Academy
Picture this: your kids are driving you nuts (not hard to picture) and it is either raining, 100 degrees, or 30 degrees out. So, you need a place to let your kid run, jump, bounce, swing, climb and slide until they literally pass out. And, preferably, a place that isn't too expensive.
Done.
Our favorite place to let my son run free and get out all that endless energy is The Academy's open gym. It is located off Man of War at 3500 Arbor Drive and is open Monday through Thursday from 10am until 2pm. They also have an evening open gym for you night owls that runs Friday and Saturday nights from 6pm to 11pm. Their Facebook page is here and their phone number is 859-317-8375. The building will say National Academy, but they rent the downstairs area. You go in through the main door and then immediately turn left and go down the stairs to get to the gym. The cost is $4.00 per child per hour, which I think is very reasonable. In fact, one hour is about all my son can take before he starts rolling around on the ground and resting a bit. They take cash or credit cards, but prefer cash. There are cubbies to put bags and shoes when you walk in before you enter the play area. I am sure they have bathrooms, but to be honest, I haven't used them, so I don't know where they are.
There are a ton of things for the kids to do here. My son loves to run and bounce across the spring floor. There are also two trampolines. One is a long trampoline with a soft mat at the end and the other is a built in trampoline that is great for getting a good jump going.
There are also a ton of balance beams for them to walk across and practice their balance as well as uneven bars and other typical gymnastics equipment. The newest area in the gym is a large play structure. It has great climbing areas, quiet areas to play, and two slides. My son loved playing in this last time we were there. Lastly, there is a large foam pit that you can jump or swing into. My son just loves jumping in here and it is great for his core strength to get himself back across the blocks. There is a gap between the lip of the pit and where the foam starts which can make it tricky to climb out, but they do have stairs in one area which helps. But, if you have a toddler, prepare to be climbing in and out of the pit about a million times helping them get out.
It is a gymnasium, so it does have that gym smell. And, you will be the proud owner of that smell when you go home. But, I have always found it to be pretty clean. And, they do occasionally have students from the school there, so it can get a bit crowded for smaller kids. But, the people running it do a good job keeping everyone safe and giving everyone some room.
I would suggest wearing something comfortable because you will be jumping, running and getting in and out of the foam pit with your kids. Also, take socks off before going in because otherwise, they will be lost to the foam pit. They can also be fairly unreliable with hours, so you may want to call ahead and make sure they are open before heading out.
Overall, this is a great place to go and wear your kids out. We love going there and I can almost guarantee a nap afterwards, which is worth way more than four dollars to me. And, it totally counts as a workout day for me when I go there because I always work up a sweat chasing after my little one.
