By Stephanie Conway
With the holidays behind us, we now face the long, cold winter months ahead. Prolonged cold weather makes it difficult to get out and have fun, so here are a few ideas to get the family moving and out of the house when everyone starts to get a little stir-crazy.
Arkadia Retrocade — Fun for all ages, Arcadia Retrocade recently opened in the Evelyn Hills Shopping Center and offers over 70 vintage arcade games. Admission is $5 at the door and all of the games are free to play. They are open seven days a week and offer old school video games like Pac Man, Mario Brothers and Donkey Kong. There are hours of fun to be had here and the nostalgia of playing video games from when you were a kid.
Where: 1478 N. College Ave., Fayetteville
Starlight Skatium — Skating is another hobby that is fun at any age. Skating sessions at Starlight are only $5 which includes skate rentals. They also offer toddler skates to make it easier for the little ones. I recommend bringing the knee and elbow pads for the kids and checking the website for skate times. If you prefer to skate with no kids around, Starlight offers adult only skate sessions as well.
Where: 612 North College Avenue, Fayetteville
Ice Skating at Jones Center — If you have never had the opportunity to try ice-skating, now is a great time. The Jones Center has arena times six days a week but you must make reservations in advance, so be sure and check the calendar and make arrangements ahead of time. The cost of admission is $5 plus an additional $2 to rent the ice skates. Even youngsters can do it. And, it’s the region’s only year round ice skating rink with “learn to skate” lessons available.
Where: 922 East Emma Avenue, Springdale
To make reservations: (479) 756-8090 or www.thejonescenter.net
Boingo Bounce — Let the kids go crazy and burn off their pent-up energy jumping on and sliding down gigantic inflatables. Check their online calendar for “open bounce” times which are offered both during the week as well as on the weekends. The cost per child is $6 for children 2-5 and $8 for kids 6 and up with parents/guardians free. The adults have as much fun as the kids, so if you don’t have kids of your own, borrow a niece or nephew and go check it out.
Where: 240 East Township Street, Fayetteville
Gymnastic Joe’s — There are two open gym options when your kids are going bananas and you must get out of the house — Option 1: Family Time which is children toddler age up to 10 years old and costs $5 per family (3 kids). Option 2: all ages and is $5 per person. Dates and times vary by day so check the online calendar for specifics. The gym has a spring floor, a tumble track trampoline, two regular trampolines and a foam cube pit. I can personally attest that the foam cube pit alone is worth the cost of admission!
Where: 4201 North Shiloh Drive, Fayetteville
U of A Discovery Zone — This is a free museum and science center which is an extension of the University of Arkansas. The museum features traveling exhibits as well as activities for kids. Hours are Tue.-Fri. 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.-4 p.m..
More Info: http://cmase.uark.edu/UADZ/UADZ.htm
