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Kid Ventures
Categories: Active Life Playgrounds Event Planning & Services Venues & Event Spaces Playgrounds, Venues & Event Spaces [Edit]
5066 Santa Fe StSan Diego, CA 92109
(858) 272-2266
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 9:30 am - 7:30 pm
Sat 9 am - 12 pm
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
37 reviews for Kid Ventures
37 reviews in English
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Review from Rebecca T.
San Diego, CA
1/18/2012
Kid Ventures is such a great place for kids and parents to play in a safe, indoor environment. They encourage imagination and physical activity. It's a perfect place to meet up with other moms and share a cup of coffee in the cafe while the kids play. I have attended two birthday parties and had such great experiences both times. Kids are completely entertained and safe.
Tip: Don't forget your socks! ;) -
Review from Kyle M.
10/29/2011 1 Check-in Here
Birthday Party Perfection!
My wife purchased a birthday party package from KidVentures for our 2 year old and it couldn't have been better.
Although it is a bit pricey it is well worth it. Basically I was expecting them to just open the doors and say "here you go" but in reality they provide a party for you. The "host/ess" basically sets the pace for you and you can sit back and enjoy the company of the adults that came. They shut the place down for others for your party and after everyone has their socks on (adults too!!!) the play begins.
They basically let the kids run free through the place for the first while and then the birthday boy/girl gets to ring a bell to let everyone know it is time for food (I suggest ordering extra pizza's through them for the adults, one less thing to worry about). After food it's more play time and then another bell ringing to let people know it's time for cake!
I suggest at least a 2hr block (I think the basic is 1.5hrs) as we didn't feel rushed with 2hrs, but it would have been tough to fit everything in with a shorter time. They prefer that you not open presents there which at first I was worried about, but in reality it would have taken up too much time that otherwise could be spent running around the place.
Overall if you are looking for a place to have a birthday party this is a GREAT option. Wouldn't be surprised if we book it again next year. -
Review from Marie M.
Boston, MA
1/13/2012
We've explored lots of indoor play spaces, especially when we lived on the east coast, and this is among the best. It's very clean and the themed rooms are great for sparking tiny imaginations. It's nice that adults have a central place in which they can sit, though if you have younger children you'll need to follow them closely. My children have never been bored here and equally they never want to leave. I've been a few times now and I'll keep coming back. It would also be a great place to host a birthday party.
Comment from Darren S. of Kid Ventures 1/13/2012
Thank you so much for your Yelp review of our business Kid… More » -
Review from Emily J.
San Diego, CA
3/25/2011
I wanted to write a brief review based on my experience there and to counter what some other "park lover" aka "book lover" wrote with 3 stars to specifically damage this place.
Today, for example, it is frightening weather, and after my kids being cooped up at school for the whole week with wet and therefore unusable (submerged) playground, they deserve a little time away from the books and away from the local 2 parks that are equally submerged.
This place has it right: It is clean, organized, and run right. Other places that have closed like Poway Kidsville were always an atrocity when it came to sanitation (maybe why they closed). This place makes it clear they like to keep the fomites clean. The age ranges served are large enough to cover my family. For $20 for 2 kid drop-in for a day, I would say that is a pretty good deal.
Some people gave 3-stars because they like to say how much they like their kid to like books and parks. You are mother of the year no doubt, but why rain on the company's otherwise nice parade with a low ranking? (We all know "A-OK" is really a kick in the teeth, so please don't try to justify.) BTW, you can check-in to a place driving by on the I-5 at 70 miles an hour, so having checked-in doesn't impress me. -
Review from Dean P.
5/14/2011
This place was exactly what I needed. Mommy is away for a few days and me with two 4 year old boys and a 6 year old girl on our third day alone is a recipe for disaster! I needed a place to take the "perfect storm" and let them burn off energy.
This place was perfect! Open at 9, close at noon, 3 hours of sheer kindermaddness! $28 for all three kids. They have a little coffee area and wi-fi.
My only complaint were some of the parents that just sit on their iPad's and don't watch their children. But of course that's not KV's problem.
We will be back! -
Review from Leigh M.
San Diego, CA
3/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
Kids Ventures has a great idea to offer parents in regards to having an indoor play area for the children and a lounge for parents to "relax". However, it doesn't beat the traditional park and outdoor activities that this awesome San Diego has to offer. My daughter seems to have an advantage exploring the natural settings with fresh air, while still making a few friends. As a young parent, I receive a greater appreciation for the time I spend with my daughter and what she can experience without being confined in a decent sized room.
Overall, place was as clean as it could be with several kids utilizing everything. The employees did their job.
Will we return? Probably not. If the weather outside is frightening, then we will stay home gather a few books and take it from there. Hope this helps. -
Review from Tara M.
1/15/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Love this place. My kiddo is not yet 2, and it is nice to have a safe but interesting indoor place to hang that totally wears her out. Love the video monitors, love the "parent island" seating, love the disco room, and love that it is pretty hard for my kid to injure herself here unless she were to randomly fling herself down the stairs of the castle.
A hint - go in the late afternoon/early evening before closing - it is always dead because (I assume) everyone else is heading home for dinner.
Also, bring cash for the coffee bar. There is a $5 minimum for cards and I have found myself buying multiple cheese sticks just so I can get a bag of Sun Chips.Listed in: Rugrat-Friendly!
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Review from Jen W.
Chula Vista, CA
1/8/2011
My son and I LOVE Kid Ventures! We joined right when they opened in Eastlake and my mom usually took him while I was working. Lucky for me, I was laid off from a not-so-pleasant job recently and have been able to start taking him several times a week. My son just turned 3, so naturally he has a lot of energy to burn and Kid Ventures is the perfect venue! He loves riding around in the cars and dressing up like a firefighter and "driving" the firetruck. He looks forward to the great selection of kid-friendly snacks and drinks. I personally love the coffee and the chance to catch up on e-mails and my job search while knowing that he's having a blast and socializing with other kids under my watchful eye.
For those who had complaints about the cost, I'd say that if that's your main gripe and you otherwise really like the place, become a member! We went 2-3 times a week during the month of December and didn't have to pay a dime on top of the monthly membership. I tend to feed my son breakfast before we go in the morning and we'll leave by lunch so I can feed him at home. I'll buy his chocolate milk and my coffee usually, but it's only $5 or so total, so not too bad.
I compare this to other options for places to keep my son busy and it's a winner hands down. We love The Zoo and Sea World and have passes for both, but they both require much more exertion on my part so if I'm exhausted and/or have things I need to get done, KV works much better! We also love local parks but sometimes the weather isn't ideal and I also have to keep a much closer eye on my son so he doesn't wander off or tumble down a hill. Kid Ventures is just the best of all worlds! -
Review from Jessica N.
Norman, OK
11/23/2010 1 Check-in Here
This place is fantastic! I can bring my 2 year old and baby here and sit down and relax with my baby while my crazy two year old runs around in a fun and safe environment. They even have a baby area where little ones can hang out without being trampled by the bigger kids. I didn't try any of the coffee or food available for purchase, but it all looked good. Don't forget to bring socks for yourself and your kids!
I do think that security could be improved greatly. I think the staff should implement a program to make sure children only leave with the adult who brought them in. A better entry/exit system would also be nice. Why not make the gate only accessible after the attendant has buzzed someone in or out? That would help with the issue of parents forgetting to lock the gate. -
Review from Love Z.
San Diego, CA
7/30/2010
How on Earth is this place getting such good ratings?
The bottom line from my son's perspective is that he had a great time. There are some fun rooms to play in and neat structures to climb on. That's fabulous.
So what's my problem with Kid Ventures? It is way overpriced: $12 just to get my kid in the door. Totally, totally not worth it. We went to a similar place in NY that charged $8 for entry; the place was cleaner, the amenities were bigger, and we had access to their giant bouncy room. This place is a rip-off for $12.
Also, the cafe is totally overpriced. Lunch for me and my 2-year old son was $17.50.
$30 for an OK lunch and 2 hours of decent play things is way out of my price range. I could have bought a $5 sandwich at Vons and let him run around a preschool playroom for the same return.
The staff was responsive to my needs (if you consider taking 15 minutes to produce a pre-made croissant sandwich and microwaved chicken nuggets a good response), but they had a problem with the fact that my son was taking the grocery store items into the fire station next door, which resulted in him being reprimanded. Can you believe it - they reprimanded a 2 YEAR OLD! For $12, he should be allowed to take the entire collection of plastic meats into the fire truck if it makes him happy.
Another reason it only receives one star from me: SECURITY. The "security" at the front door is negligible. Sure, there is only one way in/out of the play area. That's cool. But it is "monitored" by the guy working the front desk who didn't seem to take note of people exiting the play area. Also, I witnessed countless people walking in/out of the play area who forgot to close the gate. No one would have stopped my son from walking out on his own into the street. Yes, it is my responsibility to prevent that, but why make it so easy to happen?
A word of advice to Kid Ventures: places like Chuck E. Cheese have implemented a relatively simple security feature where every person entering the facility receives a stamp on their hand with a unique number/code that corresponds to his/her family. The code is then checked upon exit to make sure no kid leaves with the wrong family. These kid gym places really should consider that sort of system to prevent a bad situation from happening.
So, overall, I won't return to Kid Ventures because of these issues: cost and security.
If you are planning to try it out anyway, consider yourself forewarned. -
Review from Amanda C.
San Diego, CA
7/14/2010
Man, I should of read the reviews about this place before going. Yeah, I see allot of 4 star ratings on here but I notice for the ones who wrote a review that are 3 stars or less is telling the truth. Honestly I say 4 stars for a great Idea with the place but I say
-4 Stars on Staff being so anal
-4 Stars on the equipment " how much beating do you think toys could take till they break or someone gets hurt" With the money they make I think somethings need replaced.
-4 Stars on NO OUTSIDE FOOD. What is the difference from bringing applesauce from your home and buying applesauce there. I don't get it. You already pay $24 for two kids to get in the place and now you have to buy food too!
* Experience : I was asked to leave the lunch room because I brought sandwich for the kids to eat. I was told due to food allergies in other kids I could not have any in there. I was told by one staff member to go to the main floor and eat. Fine no problem. I go to the main floor at the table to eat then get told by someone else to move outside the building " now mind you there are tables next to a busy road " with construction going on" I was also told to pack it up or get rid of it. Has anyone took away a sandwich from 3 hungry kids ? " Yeah my children threw a fit" . I don't understand why they could not designate a room to eat at specially for outside food.
* -4 Stars on air conditioner : Talk about hot today. It was hot outside. I walked in to kids venture and it felt like the A/C was not on. With in 30 minutes of my stay I herd over 5 parents say " is the air even on" or " Did they turned up the air". It is bad enough being hot outside but with allot of people inside a building it tends to get warm from body heat. literally I was sweating by the time I walked out.
Seriously stop being so cheap!
* Anyway, if you are looking for a place to take your child, it is ok for the children just a little strict for being a place for kids. I feel this place is more of a money making deal then for the kids. I thought I would recommend this place to people but after my experience today I don't think I will. -
Review from Rebecca B.
San Diego, CA
1/8/2011
Kid Ventures is a gem for both kids and parents. Our daughter is 3 1/2 and could spend all day here if left up to her! For the kids - tons of opportunities for creative imaginary play in a clean, safe and engaging environment. For the parents - delicious fair trade coffee, free wi-fi, lounge and workspace, great meet-up location for playdates. We have a membership and love it. Their staff is always cheerful and patience - a PLUS!
Tip - bring socks for yourself and child. I ALWAYS forget and they are required. -
Review from Noemi F.
Solana Beach, CA
1/11/2011
I have two boys 2 & 6 and they both LOVE Kid Ventures! When my oldest son turned 6, we had his party there. Even though his party was six months ago we still hear parents (and kids) say it was the best kids party they'd been to! While my older son loves to dress-up and play on the giant pirate ship and castle, my younger son loves climbing on the fire engine and exploring the "Diner" as well as the "Market." KV is not only great for parties, but I love taking my kids there to play...especially on rainy days and non-school days.
Another great thing about this place is the staff. They are great at maintaining order, great with the kids and extremely courteous. They also have a small cafe, which sells a variety of healthy snacks and - most importantly - coffee!
KV is located in an industrial area off the 5fwy, but it's easy to find and parking is never a problem. Love, love. LOVE this place! -
Review from Anna L.
San Diego, CA
7/20/2009
+1 * for a well thought out floor plan and surveillance (although creepy) on huge screen over the cafe area
+1* for Fun individually themed rooms for the kids to be kids in and a general open play area.
+1* for friendly staff (for the most part- see second -1 for that)
-1 *No outside food? I brought in water, cheez-its and pretzels and ate them in the open, didn't get reprimanded, but still! Seriously and those little tiny baby sized picnic tables outside are fine for the two year old's to sit at if they weren't literally a foot from the traffic of the parking lot. And there is not very much room for adults to stand in that area- God forbid us adults have a place to sit outside and eat our banned items.
-1* for being a little too concerned about the play items staying in their rooms. I understand that yes,other kids are playing here and if all the toys are gone from one room that other kids can't play in there. But, seriously? A couple fake pieces of fruit in the back of the fire truck was enough to get me in trouble? and for being this anal about plastic fruit they failed to notice the un-mistakable pee smell coming from beneath the pirate ship. -
Review from Sarah C.
Chula Vista, CA
8/2/2010 1 Check-in Here
I went there around 2:30pm...
I think it's the best time to visit this place!
From around 2pm, people from morning start to leave. So by 3pm, there won't be many kids (there are few but not too many) so kids can run around, play one toy to another without fighting or bumping into each other!
My daughter totally loved this place, and so did I, however I didn't rate 5 stars because there are few down sides.
1. No food or drink
Other indoor playground I go allows to bring food and drinks in. Which helps a lot if you want to come often.
2. Pricey
Compare to other place, this place is big and full of fun stuff but the price is higher. $12 for one, $8 for siblings? If you have two kids, that's $20... and you can't bring in any food or drinks so what if your kids get hungry or thirsty? That easily goes $30, $35 per visit... that's little too much.
3.Location
It's not close to any place I go often... I wish this is located more easy access place.
So overall, this place is great but I'd say it's not a place you come often.
I'm thinking maybe i'll try to come here once in a month or maybe twice. -
Review from Holly Ann J.
San Diego, CA
8/13/2009
What a great place for a party. After we went here for one of my daughter's pre-school 'mates' birthday parties ... She was adament this is where she wanted to turn FOUR!
It's a good size. Not too big. Not too little.
It's new and clean! CLEAN! That's what I appreciate in a kids playroom!
There are many things the kids can do: dress up in the castle; climb on a wall; up in a pirate ship; down a slide.
There are many different themed rooms: disco dance room; nursery; kitchen; fire station; and ...
There is a snack bar in the center. Parents want a latte? You got it!
There is also a special room set-up for birthday cake and lunch. Yum! Yum! Small lil' tables and chairs for the kids. Parents can look in from outside the room.
Not only is this a great place for a party. I believe that it's a perfect rainy day destination! It's located close to 5, not far from In-and-Out in Pacific Beach. See you there!Listed in: Fun Times with Angel Baby!, HAPPY BIRTHDAY Kiddo's!
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Review from lauren h.
La Jolla, CA
8/5/2010
Kid Ventures is an amazing place for kids and families!
There aren't many/any places like it in San Diego - where your child has the membership (we're annual members) and anyone can take him/her to play (her grandparents, cousins and babysitters, when I am working).
It's a CLEAN, SAFE, FUN and creative environment where kids can explore the different themed rooms and use their imagination. No TV, and all imagination.
The staff has always been friendly and wonderful and treat you like you are part of the family. The snacks are age appropriate and reasonable and I enjoy just sitting in the middle and watching my 5 year old and her friends run around playing for hours.
KV also has some cool classes for kids and puppet shows on Fridays.
My daughter has been playing (and not getting bored!) for the last year and a half and still loves to go after school to play. They keep the place fresh with fun activities and art projects for kids in the creativity room.
We had our 4 year old bday party there and it was AWESOME! I basically just showed up (and brought the cake).
I've read a lot of people saying it's over priced - but here's the deal - IT'S CLEAN, there are always new toys and new things to do, the equipment is all in great shape despite being beaten up by toddlers and kids all day long - if you want to take your kids to a place with exceptional quality and a safe environment, then KV is the place.
If you want old, used, beaten up, dirty toys with kid slobber - well, you get what you pay for. -
Review from Jennifer B.
San Diego, CA
7/12/2010
This place is fabulous for birthdays! Just had my daughter's fourth birthday party here. It was the most fun (and relaxing for the parents) birthday party yet. Just put socks on 'em and set 'em loose in this place. There's so much for them to do, and it really stimulates the kids' imaginations and creativity. They have a shocking amount of dress up clothes, and something like nine different "worlds" for the kids to jump into... a grocery store, fire engine, disco hall, doctor's office/nursery, 50s style diner, library, art room, pirate ship, and a huge castle with slides and hiding places. Then there's all the random stuff around the open areas, like the rock climbing wall, and all the ride on toys.
The staff is awesome, very friendly and easygoing, very accommodating and full of smiles and energy. They seemed to be committed to making sure everyone had a great time. The seating in the center of the whole place is ideal for the parents. It's relaxing, the kids can find mommy or daddy quickly if they need anything. -
Review from Sarah L.
CORONA DL MAR, CA
5/7/2011
Had the most amazing birthday party here for my 4 yr old niece. The kids had a blast, the place is clean, the staff was so friendly, and the party was organized well by the owners. We will definitely be back and so will the other kids! My niece loves kid ventures!!
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Review from Carol H.
San Diego, CA
4/22/2011
This place is a lifesaver when the kids are out of school and you need to get them out of the house, but still be able to do some work.
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Review from Araceli W.
Sacramento, CA
8/23/2011
Best. Indoor Play. Ever. We've been to several, and this place has to be the best we've been to. Many little rooms with different themes, a grocery, a fire station, a dance room, nursery, diner, library, art studio, castle with 2 slides and pirate ship (I'm writing this from Kid Ventures is the only reason I can list that! lol) There's a sitting area for parents with a big flat screen hanging from the ceiling so you can watch your kids in the individual rooms (security-like cams in each). And they have free wifi. But, what sets this place apart from others, is that they have a full coffee bar with a very skilled barista that serves pretty decent coffee (their web site says it's all organic). One woman ordered hers, and it was served in a mug with a french press! They also offer a great selection of goodies (as they don't allow outside food) including sandwiches, salads, and the usual kid fare like chips, fruit cups, pudding, juice drinks, etc. We'll definitely be back.
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Review from Maya M.
San Diego, CA
4/13/2011
Great place, specially if your little one comes with a little friend or sibling to explore the place upside down. Meanwhile you could enjoy a cup of coffee, chat with a friend and relax a little bit. Just avoid it during a rainy day... it gets WAY too crowded.
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Review from Jessica N.
San Diego, CA
1/22/2010
This is definitely a nice place - clean and good toy variety! We've been here quite a few times and my kids 2 1/2 and 5 LOVE it! Snack bar is decent and fairly reasonable in price. Love the flat screen TV that shows video of all the playrooms so you can watch the kids even while you're sipping tea and chatting with a friend. The attendants that work in the playarea are very friendly and good with the kids.
On our first visit (shortly after they opened), my 2 yr old ran right into a sharp cornered ledge outside their disco area which made his mouth bleed. They offered help right away and had safety corners on the shelf within a few minutes of the incident.
My only 2 objections to 5 stars are:
** it's expensive! I think $12 for the first child is steep even if the second is $8. Paying $20 for admission plus $5+ on drinks/snacks will keep this as only a very occasional place for us to visit. Playtown in El Cajon offers a 10-punch card for $55 which comparatively makes the trip out there completely worth it.
** I always have to buy snacks because kids don't understand why they have to sit outside to eat while others are snacking inside, plus having an outside snack area right next to the street for toddlers is unacceptable. I end up buying snacks everytime - even if we did have our own - the big glass case would be tempting for the kids anyway.
Overall, the location is a must try! -
Review from Nikki B.
San Diego, CA
8/5/2011
It was clean and a great place for moms to talk and kids to play. It was on the expensive side but I would go there again because it was a safe environment that my child could play in.
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Review from Mark M.
San Diego, CA
1/21/2011
No question...the place is not cheap to enter, nor is the food cheap. But with four small kids, we used it enough to justify getting a membership, and they only charged us for three, so it ended up being worthwhile for us, especially in the winter months when we visited at least once per week, and often more. Plus we often brought our own snacks, so we found ways to make it work for us financially.
We always found the staff friendly, courteous, and helpful. Over time, our kids got to know the staff members by name, and would look forward to seeing them. They were patient with us, too, as our bunch was often the largest and wildest crew present.
The place was always clean and all of the rooms and toys in great condition. It's not perfectly safe, but I'm not sure how much my kids would enjoy being locked in a padded room. It's an indoor playground, and though it is far safer than an outdoor playground, you still have to pay attention to your kids. Sadly, that's not always the case with some parents. We tend to be pretty engaged with the kids, and all too often I would be playing 'dragon' in the castle with my four and end up entertaining four or five more kids whose mothers were too busy talking to play with them or whose fathers were too busy checking email to pay attention to them.
My only complaint is that their weekend hours were pretty limited because of parties, and if you happen to get a rainy Saturday don't even bother to go--the place is mobbed all three hours they are open. But now that they have opened a second site, I imagine that this is not as much of a problem. And with San Diego weather, this is a problem infrequently.
We have withdrawn our membership because we have moved and our kids have gotten older and not as interested in going, but we will always have fond memories of the place and the people. They were a great support for our family for a couple of years and we and we are grateful to them for being at the right place when we really needed them! -
Review from Shannon D.
San Diego, CA
4/16/2010
I am a nanny, and I love bringing the little girl I watch here. She loves it too and wants to go everyday. Its about $75 for 10 visits and I think that is pretty reasonable. There is a little Cafe in the middle with tables and chairs for the parents and caregivers to sit and read or whatever. The video cameras make it real easy to keep track of which room your child is in.
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Review from Don D.
San Diego, CA
4/6/2009
Fun for the Young
This place is located on a side road next to the highway, you get to is by passing In-and-Out Burger, then turn left at the stop sign. The white building with dark windows looks a lot like the other buildings, thankfully they had some balloons near the street. The sign on the front of the building is obscured by trees.
Parking was right in front, but it was Saturday and we had the entire facility to ourselves for a party of about 30. There is also parking on the street.
There are bathrooms inside, marked as Princess or Knight. It is a sock-only environment, and that includes parents that want to just sit and watch, so be sure to have socks for everyone. There are plastic bins to put your shoes in and parents must fill out a waiver for their kids. The normal cost is $12 per kid for an all day pass. We were free for our party, but I'm sure the host parent paid for it all.
It is a large 6,000 sq ft room, 2 stories tall, the ceiling is painted sky blue, and each room looks like a store front, making it appear you entered a small town square. This place is age appropriate to 2-12 years old, and would be good for return visits for the 4-10 year old range. The older range would probably tire of the repeat activities.
The care and attention to detail is obvious here. Happy kid music can be heard in the background and is not overly loud. Each room has a surveillance camera with IR lighting, and is fed to a large screen TV hanging above the parent area with a picture-in-picture screen showing each room.
Each area is detailed in a color scheme and special equipment, and theme:
- Grocery Store: Little shopping carts, shelves of groceries to buy, and a checkout counter.
- Fire Station: an old fire truck as big as a small pickup with a bench seat and over-sized steering wheel. There is a shelf with small size FFE's (Fire Fighting Ensembles) of pants, coats, boots, and plastic hats.
- Disco: this darker room has a disco ball and mirrored walls and louder music. Behind the floor to ceiling curtains is a karaoke machine and 3 microphones. Diva costumes and feathered scarves.
- Nursery: Babies with diaper changing, formula, strollers, and everything a mom-to-be needs to learn the basics. Very bright and pink in this room.
- 50's Diner: A kitchen, fridge, and antique coke machine sit next to the table for 2. There are poodle skirts aprons, and black pleather jackets. The poodle skirt just fit my 6-year old daughter (she's 47 inches tall).
- Library: There is a door to this room to allow it to be quite if needed. Popular kids books like Dr. Seuss fill the shelves and there is a low drawer with large cardboard building blocks.
- Art Room: This room was set up to house our kids party of 2-7 year olds, but apparently there are art projects available, 1free project per kid.
In the main room is a tall climbable castle with knight and princess costumes, plus two slides. There is an impressive pirate ship complete with skull and crossbones, and a treasure chest full of more pirate costumes. After this, I was ready to go back to the "caaaargh" (little pirate humor there). In the center of the large room is a seating area for parents with soft and rigid chairs, tables, and mini benches so kids can join with mom for a snack. The coffee bar looked robust but we didn't use it since we had our own party pizza and drinks. There was various hot and cold drinks, muffins, small baked goods, chips, and more.
The staff was extremely friendly and supportive of the party. At various times, a lady (the owner I think) would walk around and announce, "Ok kids, it's time for (fill in kid activity here)!" She spread out a colorful parachute and had the 2-year old birthday girl go in the center while kids and parents ruffled the parachute from the outside.
During the cake ceremony, they lit it and led everyone in singing Happy Birthday. The parents were invited to sit in the main area so they could bring us cake. You're bringing ME cake? I love you, man...
The facility was immaculate, clean, and well organized. Staff would occasionally make the rounds, re-assembling a room after a pack of kids blew through it. I especially like the giant tree mural and all the butterflies hanging from the ceiling.
Only drawback was it seemed to be about 90% finished. Some rooms had mural paintings, others did not. Walls on most rooms, although painted and clean, had nothing on them. I'm not sure if that was planned, and it certainly was not a big deal to me or the kids.
Update OCT '09: Murals and other nice details have been completed.
We had a ton of fun in this place, and would certainly go back for return visits. I applaud the Kidventure people that put this together, as there is nothing like this available in the beach area. Since we lost Pirates Cove (used to be at Belmont Park) and Discovery Zone (used to be in the Vons shopping center on Midway), this is a welcome addition and will go on my LListed in: Kid-Friendly in Pacific Beach
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Review from Javier G.
San Diego, CA
11/22/2010
This is an amazing facility! A really great place to let go, play, and bond with your kids. Aside from all the play areas, the cafe is great an the staff is super friendly/helpful. Great place to meet other parents and chat as well. I'll definitely be going back!
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Review from Danielle M.
Del Mar, CA
6/10/2009 1 photo
A little pricey, but affordable if you commit to 1 year it's 30.00 per month. This place is creatively designed and my busy 3 year old son seems to enjoy it. Coffee and snacks are tasty too.
The one thing I don't care for is the pretentious crowd. The customers just feel a little snobby to me. I told one mother her son had just pooped and it was like I was inconveniencing her conversation. I laughed and walked away (my patience is low for morons). Also, you will also see the occasional mother that brings her kid here and pretty much doesn't watch them. I think my son has gotten hit by other kids a few times. It's to be expected though at that age.
Overall, I like the staff and the place is creatively put together. -
Review from La Jolla M.
La Jolla, CA
12/13/2009
I have been to a lot of indoor play gyms and Kid Ventures is certainly one of the nicest. It's CLEAN. I also love that there is a small cafe in the middle where you can have gourmet coffee and your kids will not ever really go too far out of sight. They have sandwiches, muffins and more too. They also have wireless internet. Kid Ventures would also be a great place to have a children's birthday party! The owners also could not be any nicer.
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Review from Jane D.
San Diego, CA
12/16/2010
Great facility but obnoxious that they don't allow you to bring in food or drinks. They have tables and chairs to eat in and they sell food so it's obvious they want you to only buy their food.
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Review from Rebecca A.
Carlsbad, CA
3/16/2009
I went to KidVentures for the first time this weekend...it was amazing! I was able to enjoy a cup of coffee (GOOD coffee, I might add) and watch my son laugh and interact with other kids in a totally fun, bright, safe and really clean environment. His favorite was the tractor and the 50's diner...but there is something for all kids to enjoy, regardless of their interests.
A great place for parents to relax and for kids to stretch their imaginations (and burn off some energy). We'll be going back for sure! -
Review from Raquel C.
San Diego, CA
Updated - 8/31/2010
Just wanted to update my review to comment about my son's 2nd birthday I had this past Sunday. I was definitely pleased and all my guests had a great time! We arrived at 3:40PM (our party was at 4PM) and we were able to start bringing in all of our food, decorations, etc. I wish I caught our 2 hostesses names because they were extremely helpful. They kept asking me what they could do to help, which included setting up tablecovers, balloons, bringing in supplies and such. The party itself was so fun and I love Kid Ventures because my hyper son and all of our family and friends' kids can run around without having to constantly watch them. I had about 15 kids, and 40+ adults. Definitely recommend having a private birthday party here, it was well worth my money! I also extended half an hour which made my grand total about $345. I definitely have a phobia for places like Chuck E. Cheese (too many germy kids, sorry! haha). You get what you pay for which is cleanliness and service. Thank you Kid Ventures!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/2/2010
This place is really cool, and best of all: CLEAN! I've heard about these indoor kid playplaces but… Read more »
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Review from Cue T.
San Diego, CA
9/27/2009
They were mean to my son and made him cry. Enough said- nobody is mean to my son. I'd like to hear from the chick owner, and may write her a letter. The manager on duty was a very tightly wound fellow who wasn't interested in kids, nor my problem. This is a children's facility, I think some child development training is in order. Rude and anal if you ask me. Too bad, my money is shiny and green, and my kids formerly liked it there.
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Review from Jennifer B.
San Diego, CA
5/5/2010
Great idea, very creative, rooms include kitchen, nursery, grocery store, disco, fire truck, library, and arts and crafts room. There is also a castle and pirate ship in the main play area. There are plenty of clothes for kids to play dress up and use their growing imaginations.
Sounds like fun right? Well, except the fact that the employees that work there are totally anal and seem completely annoyed by the kids. The girl working behind the counter at the entrance played the same CD in the disco room, over and over, all day long... barney show tunes. I asked her if she could put on a different CD, something that the kids could dance to... taylor swift, mylie cyrus, avril lavigne. She rolled her eyes and said the all of other CDs would break the CD player. After another mom asked her to change the CD, she finally did. She made sure to yell out, if this breaks the CD player... then there will be NO MORE MUSIC! The kids all cheering to finally get new music. She hid the microphone after changing the CD though. I guess she gets pretty sick of hearing the kids sing kareoke. That's fine, they just wanted to dance anyway. The other employee, kept chasing the kids around telling them not to take the grocery items out of the grocery store. Come on, what's the fun in pretend buying groceries if you can't even take them to your kitchen, put them in the fridge, and cook them on the stove. Seriously, lighten up, you work in a place called kid ventures... try to at least pretend like you like kids.
Bummer. This place would be really great if there were different employees that work there.
Oh yeah, if you do go there, make sure you eat and feed your kids before. They won't let you bring anything in. They sell very limited and expensive snacks there. Admission is $12 per child for drop-in rate. IMO - not worth the money -
Review from Brian K.
San Diego, CA
7/16/2009
I have been to Kid Ventures a few times and have to say that it is awesome. Simply awesome. I have taken my little one there about three times and he cannot seem to get enough. It is the newest version of todays playground for the lucky kids of todays generation. It is pretty good for the parents as well because they have a cute little cafe that you can eat and drink your coffee while watching your kids live or via closed ciruit monitors. I have a birthday party coming up that we are havng there, I 'll let you know how that goes.
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Review from Candice B.
San Diego, CA
9/18/2009
Fabulous, Fabulous, fabulous!! This place is a dream come true for any kid!! My daughter had a blast here and there is nothing else like it anywhere in San Diego!! We also signed up for gymnastics next door at the sister business gym ventures. The staff was nothing but friendly and even gave us a long tour and let my daughter play on the gymnastics equipment before joining. I would highly recommend both of these places to anyone with kids under the age of 6 or so. Also, I noticed a lot of complaints about not allowing outside food. I must say that I was glad that they keep such a tight watch on what is allowed inside considering that the environment was designed for EVERYONE and considering that a lot of parents let their kids run around with who knows what smeared all over their hands and faces!! It's good to know that the place will be kept clean and in good condition for years to come and I dont have to worry about my child playing with toys that have gunky food caked all over it. One other review mentioned that they must have spent thousands of dollars to get the place up and running then no wonder they are anal. Well I would be too! Their business, their rules!
