Why bring your own food?

Have you ever considered going to McDonalds and bringing your own food? We know it may sound like a stupid question but think about it for a minute. You would never arrive to a restaurant, McDonalds or any other, and have your own food tucked away in your bag would you? We didn’t think so. Now let us ask you this, would you arrive to Playzone and bring your own food? Many of you may answer yes but we would like you to reconsider that answer, what makes us any different from McDonalds? We provide food services; we have a range of affordable, nutrious meals prepared fresh for our customers, so why would you bring your own food?

Over the years we have noticed a number of our customers like to be prepared when heading out for a day with the kids and we understand the need to be organised but when coming to Playzone we like to think we can make things a little easier for you. Here at Playzone not only do we pride ourselves in our play equipment but also in the food that we provide. You may think that having a café in our play centre is all about making money, but it is not. It is about proving a service to our customers, it is about providing affordable food that is healthy and nutrious and it is also about ensuring our customers can tick one more thing off their list before heading out the door. How nice is it to know that preparing a lunch isn’t necessary when heading out to Playzone?

When it’s a rainy day and the kids are running a muck in the house, when your stuck for something to keep them busy and you decide to head out to Playzone you can rest assured that we have a range of nutrious hot and cold food prepared freshly for our customers, so why burden yourself with adding extra stress when trying to get the kids out the door. When the kids get out of school on a Friday and you want to treat them and decided to head to Playzone why stress about preparing an after school snack when you know that you can get smoothies and fruit at Playzone not only ensuring they get a healthy option but that it is also quick and convenient for yourself.

We here at Celbridge Playzone want to make things easy for our customers which is why then designing our play centre not only did we ensure that children could be seen at all times while on the play equipment but that parents can also have an enjoyable time. Removing the stress of worrying about the safety of your children has always been a priority for us which is why our play equipment is spacious, open and monitored by trained staff at all times but we think about more than just your time at Playzone. We also like to think about the stress which can sometimes involved in getting to Playzone and things such as preparing snacks and lunches should not be one of those stresses which is why we have ensured our menus are packed full of affordable healthy options.

Not only do we pride healthy and affordable food but we also have something to suit everybody’s needs including vegetarian options as well as gluten free options. We strive to ensure that we are inclusive in everything that we do which is why we ensure we aim to meet as many dietary needs as possible. Many times we have found that parents felt the food we provide is not healthy enough for children but we must challenge parents on this. We do provide the expected play centre food of sweets, crisps, nuggets and chips but we also provide much more. Not only do we have fresh fruit available, and children’s and adults smoothies available to buy but we also have a range of meals which are perfect for the little ones which include pasta, perfect for ensuring your little ones get enough carbohydrates to ensure they have enough energy to get through the day. We provide sandwich’s made using brown bread along with kiddie rolls and we also have scrambled eggs to ensure your children get the protein that they need.

You might find yourself asking other questions such as are the portion sizes correct for my child? Well here at Playzone we are very aware of the risks of obesity in society today and ensure that all of our kiddie meals are just that, made for children. Still not satisfied that you don’t need to bring your own food to Playzone? Well if taking the stress out of preparation, knowing that we have healthy options and that our portion sizes are also adequate for children doesn’t satisfy you I’m sure out friendly service will make all the difference.  Not only are our staff always on hand to help with any questions or concerns you may have but our kitchen staff are trained and work tirelessly to ensure your food meets the highest standards possible and is prepared in a timely fashion. Once your food is prepared our dedicated staff will bring your food to your table along with anything else you may require, again taking away some of the stress and hassle involved in organising your own food.

We here at Celbridge Playzone want the best for our customers and this desire to provide the best underpins all the work, which we do and providing affordable, nutrious food is an essential part of our service. We are constantly updating and improving our menu and options and always welcome feedback and suggestions of what more we could be dong to make your experience more enjoyable. But in order to continue providing this service we need your help, we need customers to experience what we have to offer and see for themselves just how good our food is.

If you wouldn’t go to McDonalds with your own burger and chips why come to Playzone with your own sandwich when we can prepare them freshly for you to meet your exact needs?

Surviving your trip to Playzone!

Fancy a trip to Playzone but the thought of the noise alone is making you reconsider? Well don’t fret because here at Playzone we have complied a list of the top tips which you need to know to help make your visit to Playzone more enjoyable!

First things first- Time it right!
If you are looking for a calm day out with the little ones and a chance for you to sit down and enjoy a cup of coffee a rainy afternoon on a Saturday may not be the best time to visit! During the week, Playzone is naturally quieter so it makes perfect sense to pop the kids in the car and come for a visit. Timing is everything, so be sure to check out on Google the times in which Playzone is usually busier before coming down.

Socks, socks and even more socks!

There is nothing worse than arriving at a play centre without socks! Playzone do usually have socks available at reception for those who may have forgotten but save yourself the extra expense by making sure your littles are wearing socks before leaving the house. We see it very often here, so we know the struggle some parents have to get the kids to keep their socks on so we advise you bring extra, because once those socks are off the chances of going home with the same pair you came in with are very slim! We don’t hold onto old socks, they go straight into the bin!

It’s not a fashion show!

Make your life a little bit easier by avoiding toy jewellery etc, things which are loose and can hang are not advisable for wearing on the play equipment and are not allowed on our climbing wall. But to make life easier again, try dress the little ones in something which you can see from a distance! There is no fear of the little ones getting outside of the building as we have alarmed doors, gates and staff who are very aware and observant but something bright always helps when the little ones try to hide when it’s time to go home!

Bite the bullet!

Sometimes, although we always like to be prepared it is easier to just go! Sometimes when the little ones are kicking up a fuss, running amuck in the house or cabin fever is setting in during the school holidays it might be necessary to make that impulse decision. Don’t be scared, don’t be worried, often you will find that your kids will surprise you and that trip you have been dreading will not be as bad as you expected.

Good mental health habits for kids

These days we are constantly hearing about mental health in the media, everything from positive initiatives to the lack of funding for mental health services and more often than not the emphasis tends to be on the lack of funding, poor services and the increasing number of people experiencing mental health difficulties. We here at Celbridge Playzone seek to take a holistic approach to children and child development and as we strive to be more than your average family play centre we have found the top six ways you can help your children keep mentally well and although it might seem unusual to be focusing on a young child’s mental health, laying the foundations for positive mental health at a young age may make a huge difference later in life.

Ensuring that your children have good mental health doesn’t mean that they will never experience worry or upset but rather they will be in a position to deal with these emotions and overcome them, preparing them better for whatever life may have in store for them in the future.

Here are the top six ways to promote good mental health in your children.

Look after your own mental health
Many adults find themselves living stressful and busy lives and some may even find themselves getting bogged down by the stress experienced throughout everyday life. It is important that before being able to look after your child’s mental health you must be actively looking at ways to look after your own mental health and control stress. Children learn from their parents so living a life, which promotes mental health, will have a positive effect on your children, making them aware of the importance of looking after your mental health.

Sleep

Sleep is an essential aspect for ensuring positive mental health, both for adults and for children. Ensuring your child has positive mental health means ensuring that they get enough sleep. Ensuring children get between 10 and 12 hours sleep will enable proper growth and development and ensure they are well rested, allowing them to deal with challenges to the best of their ability.

Exercise

Exercise does more than just ensure physical health but it also has a significant positive impact on your mental health. With exercise encouraging the production of hormones such as serotonin, which helps tackle depression and low mood, it is important that your child is getting a minimum of an hours exercise a day. A trip to someone like Playzone on a rainy day can help with this as children don’t exercise like adults a trip to Playzone can ensure children can get healthy exercise through play.

Creative Outlets

All children should be encouraged to get creative as it encourages them to find new ways of expressing themselves. Not only does creativity allow children to explore different outlets for emotions but it also encourages them to engage in activities mindfully, focusing on the here and now, allowing children to move away from the stress and worries associated with everyday life. Finding hobbies such as art and sports also allows this to happen.

Space

As parents we worry about our children, we want to spend time with them everyday and ensure they are well looked after, we want our children to feel loved and cared for so when it comes to accepting that children of all ages need time and space of their own it can be hard. Children of all ages can benefit in some way of having their own down time, time to allow their thoughts to wander and to explore their own thoughts, feelings, and emotions. Just like adults children too need their own space in order to relax.

Talk

We always hear about the benefits of talking when it comes to look after our mental health and this doesn’t just apply to adults but it is essential for children too. Some kids bottle up what is going on inside as they feel they cannot talk about things or indeed may not have the ability to express their emotions which is why from a young age it is essential to encourage talking and questioning why a person may be experiencing such feelings. Some children may not be able to verbally communicate their worries or concerns so engaging in creative methods can also be useful.

Mental health is an essential part of our lives and is something, which needs to be, valued the same as physical health. We here at Celbridge Playzone we recognize the importance of mental health and it is for that very reason that we seek to take a holistic approach to child development but also to give parents the tools necessary to help ensure their children can begin to lay the foundations of positive mental health.

Why come to Playzone?

Nothing is more important than keeping up with the times, becoming more modern and ensuring that you always have something new to keep your customers coming back which is why Celbridge Playzone has recently undergone a transformation!

When it’s a wet and miserable Sunday afternoon and the kiddies are getting restless and you want nothing more than a bit of piece and quiet new and improved Celbridge Playzone is the perfect place to go! With a spacious Zone Café  you can  sit back, relax and enjoy a nice coffee while the little ones were burning off their energy, making bedtime that night a simple affair. Most importantly no matter where your kiddies get up to mischief  you will be able to see them, whether it was at the top of the slide or on the roller racer track, the Zone Café is laid out to make sure that even the most eagle eyed mums can have a rest!

But what about when the munchies set in? Well don’t worry because with the excellent, jam-packed menu you will be guaranteed to find something for even the fussy eater! With salads and pasta, sandwiches and wraps it makes keeping those new years resolutions even easier!

9D Virtual Reality Simulator

But a trip to Playzone shouldn’t mean just the kids get to have fun, right? Well, if your looking for a new experience and you want to be up-to-date with having a go at some of the most modern things around you have to try Playzone's new 9D Virtual Reality Simulator!! Whether your looking to go diving with some sharks or have a go on a rollercoaster, we promise you wont be disappointed when you give this a go!

But enough about the parents, what has Playzone got to offer the kiddies?

For the kiddies just finding their feet we have a fantastic baby and toddler area with two levels, a slide, and a ball pit and lots of interactive toys. If your child has ever fantasied about being the next Michael Schumacher or Louis Hamilton, the roller racer track is perfect for them! Next we have the play frame, comprised of three levels it is guaranteed to keep the kids entertained for hours! With two slides the children are spoiled for choice along with bridges, tunnels, steps, ramps, and ball pits.

But if your kids like a little bit more adventure our new FunWalls are perfect! With three separate walls to choose from your kids will be spoiled for choice! What makes these walls extra special are the games they can play as they climb! From fighting fires to figuring out the maze your children will find themselves being challenged, intrigued and excited all at once. 

Playzone is going from strength to strength and developing as more than just a business but also as a community of people who work in a job that they not only enjoy but want to do to make your experience one to remember. Be sure to pop in and experience all that Playzone has to offer, everything from virtual reality experiences with sharks to become adventurous with our FunWalls you will be spoiled for choice when you get here!

Home parties Vs Playzone parties

Are there birthdays looming in your house? Are your kids pestering you to hold a party? Are you unsure about opening up your house to a bunch of hyperactive, sugar filled children? If so why not considering holding your child’s birthday party in Playzone! Not only do we have a host of party tables and two different party rooms spoiling you for choice but holding your part in Playzone also has a host of other benefits! What benefits you might ask? Well here are a few:

Preparation

Planning your child’s birthday party involves a lot of preparation. There is everything from organising the house, planning the food and deciding on activities. Then of course you have the guest list, will there be enough space? How much food will I need to buy to make sure everybody has enough to eat, what about the vegetarians? Should I play it safe and just serve vegetarian food? What about the weather, if it rains the children wont have anywhere to run around, they will be crammed in the house, running a muck, where will the parents stay so that they can relax and have a cup of coffee?

Now imagine booking your party with Playzone and handing all this preparation over to someone else, knowing that they will handle everything. Imagine being able to relax in the run up to your child’s birthday only having to worry about the cake and ensuring your child’s friends have got their invitations. No need to worry about the menu as we have that taken care of, no need to worry about space because we have plenty of it, no need to worry about activities because the children will be spoiled for choice in Playzone.

Party Day

Now think about all that is involved with holding your child’s party at home when it comes to the actual party day. There is the set up; will I be able to fit everyone in my house? What if we use the garden will it rain? Then there is the cooking, will I be able to get all the food cooked on time, will it be cooked properly, what about allergies? Then there is the arrival; will people know how to get to my house? Will there be enough parking? Then the actual party, how will I keep the children entertained? What about it something gets broken? How about when the kids begin to get board? Where will I keep all the children’s belongings, what if they end up getting lost? Will I have to replace them? Party bags, where do I get them and what do I put in them? Will I have enough plates for serving the cake? What about cups?

Now imagine handling all that over to Playzone once again and simply just having to arrive at Playzone, bringing just yourself, your children and the cake. Knowing that instantly you will be greeted with a smile from our friendly staff that will take your cake and store it in the kitchen. Forgot candles? Don’t worry we have lots to spare. Imagine knowing that you will have a staff member on hand to answer any questions you have, who will wait until all your party have arrived, taking food orders, coats and shoes all while you sit and relax. Imagine knowing that all your belongings, your parties belongings and any presents your child may get will be kept safe and brought to your party table by staff after the arrival of all the children. Imagine knowing that you can sit, relax and enjoy a free tea or coffee while the children are off playing, have unlimited juice on their party table and are supervised at all times while on the play equipment. Imagine not having to worry about having enough space, what to do if it rains and if there are allergies or vegetarians as our staff will make sure to check with all parents in advance of serving food that they child does not have allergies.

Imagine the food being served by our friendly staff who will also help pour the drinks, give sauce and even cut up your children’s food while you continue to relax and have a hassle free day. What about the cake, will they know how many candles, what way to put them, how to cut the cake? Don’t worry because we will work with you to ensure that we do everything the way you would like it. We will bring out your cake, light the candles, sign happy birthday and cut your cake serving not just the children but the adults too making sure they have just as good a times as the kids. And to top things off we will give all the children a party bag, taking away the stress of trying to organise that yourself too.

The Clean Up

So you hold a party in your house, it lasts a few hours, by the time all the children go home your exhausted but your not don’t just yet, you still have the clean up to be done! Well imagine knowing that once your 2 hour party is finished in Playzone you will have no clean up to do, you will simply have to pay your balance and head on home. Your belonging will be waiting for you at your party table, any left over cake will be wrapped up and brought out to you and you will be helped if needed to bring any belongings out to your car.

But there are more benefits that meet the eye. Holding your party in Playzone has the added benefits of ensuring:

Children experience healthy exercise through play.

The cost is managed, ensuring you can keep within budget.

You will have dedicated staff on hand at all times to help with any questions you may have along with a dedicated party coordinator ensuring that everything runs smoothly.

You don’t have to worry about dealing with many different people organising many different things, the only two people you will have to deal with is our receptionist and your party host ensuring there is minimal confusion.

You can be guaranteed that no matter what your child’s ability there will be something that will suit them at Playzone.

We will always ensure that the birthday child is made feel special and has a birthday to remember!

Healthy Exercise Through Play

Has the unpredicatable Irish weather been getting you down? Are you concerned that your kids aren’t getting enough exercise? Well Playzone might have the answer. Here at Celbridge Playzone we do more than just promote fun, we also promote healthy exercise through play. Did you know that coming to Playzone your children can get their required 60 minutes of exercise per day?

Here at Celbridge Playzone we pride ourselves in our Play Equipment. Comprised of three levels, two slides, tunnels, bridges and rollers our play equipment is perfect for ensuring children get bending, twisting, turning, dodging and diving!

Unlike adults, children have the ability to engage effectively in play while also engaging in exercise in the process. As a child’s exercise is not like that of an adults, somewhere like Playzone is the perfect place to go to allow your child to exercise. Exercising in Playzone will come naturally to a child when climbing, bending, rolling and weaving through our play equipment. This will help your child’s bones become stronger; muscles more toned and encourage their heart and lungs to work more efficiently.

While we at Playzone place emphasis on exercising to ensure children maintain a healthy lifestyle, reducing the levels of childhood obesity and other illnesses associated with unhealthy lifestyles such as type 2 diabetes and heart diseases we also focus on the other benefits which can be gained from bringing your children to Playzone.

Here at Playzone we value positive mental health and we recognised that positive mental health occurs as a result of looking after our mental health from a young age. Not only do we promote exercise through play as a way of maintaining a child’s physical health but we also recognise the importance of exercise in helping to maintain our mental health. With exercise contributing to overall mental wellness bringing your children to Playzone on a regular basis can contribute to your child growing in confidence, building self-esteem and reducing anxiety levels.

Childhood is a time for learning and growth and that is exactly what happens here at Playzone. When you bring your child to Playzone you can be assured that your child will be stimulated and challenged in age appropriate ways.  Your child’s motor skills can be developed as a result of integrating different bodily movements into purposeful action throughout our play equipment. Your child’s balance and hand-eye-coordination can be improved with our basketball area, play equipment and roller racers.

Social interaction is an everyday occurrence in our lives, one, which many people, can find to be a daunting experience. Social interaction however can be encouraged from a young age in a positive manner through interactions, which occur between children in Playzone. With interaction with other kids being encouraged through fair play we have seen the benefits experienced by children developing friendships and allowing their imaginations to soar.

A day out to a Playzone has many more benefit than meets the eye! With friendships encouraged, exercise promoted and imaginations ignited Playzone presents your children with a world of opportunities!