Get LEGOs at a significantly reduced prices at Bricks & Minifigs

If you have a child that loves building with LEGOs or Duplo bricks toys, then Bricks & Minifigs is an absolute must location to visit in south Reno at 18180 wedge pkwy suite 1, Reno, NV 89511.

Located near Galena High School on the south end of town off Mt. Rose Highway, in the same shopping center as Bully’s Sports Bar and Raley’s, sits a quaint little shop known as Bricks & Minifigs. Technically, it is a franchised store, but boy, this store has a local flair and vibe where you can’t tell that it is a franchise.

My son and I visit this location frequently, sometimes once or twice per month. The employees know us, almost by name at this point. In fact, we had my son’s 7th birthday party there earlier in November 2017 as well.

Bricks & Minifigs has just about everything a lover of all things LEGO could ask for besides the amusement park and water park attractions that come with a visit to Legoland in California. Bricks & Minifigs has pre-built sets covering everything from Star Wars to Scooby Doo and everything in between. They also have other boxed sets that are both new, used and discontinued that you might not find anywhere else. Most people would claim that LEGOs are geared towards boys, but they also have sets that a girl would like too. My 9 year-old daughter especially likes to get a new minifig under their glass counter each time we visit. It’s just something that comes with the territory when visiting Bricks & Minifigs

Bricks & Minifigs has open bins where you can fill a bag of miscellaneous LEGOs for anywhere between $15 to $50, depending on the size of the container if you’re not interested in getting a set (what I call building with instructions). When sifting through these bins, you may be able to find missing pieces to your own sets or enough to let a young child’s imagination run wild with pieces that can make just about anything. They also have pre-assembled minfigs that are in plastic clear balls and open bins to assemble a truly custom minifig that is as unique as the child assembling it. Even further, there are open bins with rubber tires for those wheels that are missing their treads and mini-sets in bags that you can pick up and keep in a purse or bag while out and about, such as a restaurant to keep your kids entertained when the kids’ menu and crayons don’t seem to do the trick any longer and you don’t want to necessarily give them your iPhone to play with at the table.

Beyond that, there are LEGO Dimensions characters there too from the Simpsons to Lord of the Rings and more, in boxes as sets where you can build the minifig that comes with a vehicle or gadget. But that isn’t the real reason why I am mentioning LEGO Dimensions.

Beetlejuice Fun Pack game play: It’s ShowTime!

For those who don’t know, LEGO Dimensions (view the wiki devoted to the game) is a video game where you can assemble a character and their vehicle/gadget and use it in a video game by putting them on a pad and putting their pad on the “Dimensions” portal. The “Dimensions” portal is a pad that connects via a USB cable to an XBox One, PS3 or PS4 where the character joins the game and unlocks their world. Some of my favorite characters to play as are Beetlejuice, the Goonies, E.T., The Powerpuff Girls, Slimer from the Ghostbusters and the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, Finn the Human from Adventure Time, and a couple of others. The ones I am still working to get for the game are Ethan Hunt from Mission Impossible, Gizmo and Stripe from Gremlins, Knight Rider and the new, 2016 version of Ghostbusters (Abby Yates is the buildable character) and the LEGO Batman Movie Story Pack.

These characters are able to travel from world to world and mostly the game is a bunch of puzzles that unlock gold bricks that you can use to upgrade their vehicles/gadgets to enhance the gameplay. I really enjoy the game because it isn’t all too violent (there are times when there are bad guys you need to defeat to get a gold brick) and they also have different kinds of packs. From Fun Packs and Team Packs (where you get to play around in the worlds) to Level Packs where it unlocks a level to play in that is themed for the character that contributes to the game’s storyline that is rather engaging. The most fun I had playing a level is the Dr. Who Level Pack. That one was really long and a lot of fun with their puzzles and taking the TARDIS to different chronological eras and times, and locations on Earth and in outer space.

LEGO Dimensions game play with Buttercup and other Powerpuff Girls

Psst… Come here. I want to tell you a little secret about Bricks & Minifigs

Now, here is where I let you in on a little secret. At Bricks & Minifigs, they also have just the LEGO Dimensions character game pads for anywhere from $1 to $2 each. No character, no vehicle/gadget, just the game pad. This was a game changer, literally, when my son and I found out they had these pads, becuase it expanded our gameplay exponentially. In fact, just this weekend, we picked up Bubbles and Blossom from the Powerpuff Girls universe for $8 total where it would have been $24.99 (at the time of writing this article) on this site/via Amazon.com. They don’t have every single character’s game pad in stock, but if you’re like me and lucky enough to puruse the bins of game pads and recognize one you don’t already have, you can pick it up for a fraction of what it costs to buy it as a full pack at retail. Through this method, I was able to pick up Marty McFly from Back to the Future, Dr. Who, Homer Simpson, the Lord of the Rings characters, Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, the Powerpuff Girls as I mentioned above and many more.

However, even more telling of this story, I seem to spend way too much money at this store every single time we visit. Black Friday, this past Friday was especially dangerous for us as a family financially. We walked away with some great deals, including a free minifig (sorry R2-D2! He was eaten by the dog, so we lost one of our two that the kids got for free within minutes of coming home; I guess that is the nature of a 1 year-old Chessapeake Bay Retriever for you).

Here I am, rambling on… Let’s continue, shall we.

Goonies Level Pack game play: Hey, you guuuys!

Did you say Bricks & Minifigs hosts birthday parties, too?

Yep. My son, as soon as he set foot in that store and found out that they have birthday parties, immediately begged for his next birthday party to take place at Bricks & Minifigs. Who are we to deny our middle child who wants nothing more than to play with LEGOs and play video games about LEGOs all day long? He even wears clothes with LEGOs on them too.

The birthday party accommodations included:

• Time to build special LEGO cars to race down the track;
• The opportunity for every kid to build a minifig to take home with them;
• A movie playing in the background, my son chose the LEGO Movie;
• A Bricks & Minifigs t-shirt with a minifig body where the head is the child’s head out of the shirt;
• Bricks & Minifigs supplied the plates, napkins and decorations, we just had to show up with the cake, drinks, and pizza; and
• The best part, lasting memories and the happiness of a son who wanted to have his birthday party here for so long.

All-in-all, my son and most notibly my wife, really enjoyed the affair. I did too. We didn’t have to clean up anything. Bricks & Minifigs staff took care of cleaning up after the party. We were able to be in the party room for 1 and a half hours too! That was a real bonus. It didn’t feel rushed between activities. They were really laid back in their approach to handling the birthday party.

I used to work at Fun Quest, when it was still the Reno Hilton in the late 90’s – early 2000’s (does that date me?) and I know a thing or two about making a successful birthday party happen. Bricks & Minifigs staff really know what they are doing when it comes to birthday parties.

Well, that is pretty much all I have to say about this family-friendly store. Although, if you let me, I can keep going, I’m sure. If you’re looking for more information about Bricks & Minifigs, please check out some Bricks & Minifigs reviews on Yelp or stop by to see this fantastic store for yourself and tell them you heard about the store on Windy Pinwheel.

As always, thanks for stopping by Windy Pinwheel.

Where: 18180 wedge pkwy suite 1, Reno, NV 89511

What: Bricks & Minifigs, (what I like to call a LEGO lover’s paradise)

Need to know: They accept all major credit cards, host birthday parties, LEGO sets in the box or in open bins including minifigs (mini-figures), LEGO tires, small and large sets for any price point you are seeking to spend.

Extra Extra: Ask to take a look at their LEGO Dimensions game pads. Bricks & Minifigs sells them for $1 – $2 depending on the kind of gamepad to find those characters you don’t yet have or don’t need the set to play.

Website/Contact Information: (775) 501-5364, 18180 wedge pkwy suite 1, Reno, NV 89511, https://bricksandminifigs.com/store/reno-nevada/ or reno@bricksandminifigs.com

Hours: Monday – Tuesday (10AM – 6PM), Wednesday (closed), Thursday – Saturday (10AM – 6PM) and Sunday (11AM – 5PM)

Play soccer, join the Washoe Little League, have a picnic or just play at the playground at the South Valleys Regional Sports Complex Reno Nevada

This playground is suitable for ages 2 years-old and up. My 6 year-old and 3 year-old found a lot to do while we visited. They have various structures of varying ability, a spider dome/bar climbing structure (I had one of these at my elementary school while growning up and it brought up a memory or two on the playground at school), a rock climb/stair climb, swings for toddlers/babies, slides of varying height, speed and incline, tubes for little ones to climb through, spinning match games and more. My son found a little Easter Egg underneath the rock climbing stair structure, a velociraptor skeleton to look like a fossile in rock molded into the rock wall plastic.

When it comes to swings at the South Valleys Regional Sports Complex Reno Nevada, this playground only houses two toddler/infant swings. Swings that are suitable for very young children. Unfortunately, there are no swings for older children here. However, there is a dinosaur rocker nearby that children through the age of 10 years-old can enjoy in lieu of swings for older children. For as much as this playground contains, this is one item necessary for nearly any playground where it is sorely lacking. Perhaps, if there is every an expansion of the playground area, this could be something for City of Reno officials to add to the playground area.

While we were there, we found a couple of broken items on the playground, a wheel that was missing to power a spinning piston engine (it was about 8 pistons in a see-through view with gears that would spin to power the pistons), a platform with caution tape and some other things missing their steering wheels to spin them. With a minimal budget for park maintenance at the City of Reno, according to the Reno-Gazette Journal as recently as December 2015, it is understandable why these items were broken and I imagine that they will remain broken and in disrepair for some time until city parks are a focus in the city budget. Given all of these things, however, the park is maintained when it comes to regularly mowed lawns and no refuse outside of garbage cans and there is no sign of spray paint on anything at the park (sometimes tagging can happen to parks). So, the park is visibly pleasant to attend, overall.

Some of the larger play structures at the South Valleys Regional Sports Complex Reno Nevada playground may require adult supervision for younger children. My youngest is 3 years-old at the time of this article and she had no problem navigating the playground equipment. However, there were some larger items where I wanted to play the role of helicopter parent and hover over her as she scaled things like the rock climb stairs and the spider/bar dome. Not all things here at this playground will let you, as a parent remain carefree as to the safety of your child, but with increased potential hazards, the more likely an older child will find joy and adventure on those items that were difficult to scale when they were younger. So, overall, it is a trade-off, safety for fun in this case. Like I wrote above, however, my child of 3 years-old was able to use everything, it was only in some cases where I wanted to be close by in case she happened to slip off of a bar or stair.

There are also two covered areas that you can reserve with the city for special events and occasions like outdoor picnics, birthday parties or maybe a family reunion. One of these covered areas has a barbecue pit for charcoal briquettes and nearby there is a lot of wide open area covered with grass for a game of catch, Frisbee or toss with a football.

Both above and below the South Valleys Regional Sports Complex Reno Nevada playground area are soccer fields that are used nearly every day of the week for practices with Great Basin Youth Soccer teams or games on most afternoons of the week and on Saturdays. Most of these fields will be reserved, so, they may not be free to play on in any given day, but occasionally you may find an open field to play on if you bring a ball or kite to the park. Just be prepared to be asked to move off the field if it is reserved by a team for practice or a game.

Speaking of Frisbee, down in the canyon adjacent to the South Valleys Regional Sports Complex Reno Nevada playground I found a pole with chains on it that is used for Frisbee disc golf. I imagine this pole is a part of a larger Frisbee golf course that is 1 of 4 courses located in the Reno and Sparks area according to the Reno Disc Golf Association, and I could only see one other pole in the distance in this canyon near the hill that leads up to the I-595 freeway, and there are others poles that constitute an entire course. The area has a lot of vegetation (sagebrush and other desert plants) so if you happen to lose a Frisbee disc you may not be able to find it easily. If you are interested in playing “Disc Golf” at this location, check out the Facebook group for the Reno Disc Golf Association and join with others who enjoy the sport.

Finally, as this location is close to the Washoe Little League fields there is another playground near those fields close by. Please note that you cannot play on the Washoe Little League baseball fields as they are only reserved for the little league, but you can find others in the area where you can play like the fields at Shadow Mountain Sports Complex in Sparks or Idlewild Park.

Overall, my kids were easily entertained at the South Valleys Regional Sports Complex Reno Nevada playground and there no complaints from either of the two kids in the hour that we spent there during my oldest daughter’s soccer practice this past week. We saw another parent bring a picnic for one of the covered areas and then their kids played afterwards. If you’re looking for another park to visit in Reno Nevada, this is a good stop because it is clean, has structures for children of varying abilities and there is a lot of open space for any activities where you might need space like a game of catch or to fly a kite (it’s nearly always windy in Reno, Nevada which makes a day to fly a kite almost every day of the year).

We hope you can check it out and if you have visited this park/playground at South Valleys Regional Sports Complex Reno Nevada in the past, please, give us your thoughts. How did you feel about it after your visit? Do you enjoy visiting the South Valleys Regional Sports Complex Reno Nevada? We want to know.

As always, thanks for stopping by Windy Pinwheel.

Where: 15650 Wedge Pkwy, Reno, NV 89511.

What: Playground, park, soccer fields, Frisbee disc golf, horseshoe pits (near the little league fields), volleyball courts (near the little league fields), Washoe Little League fields and covered table areas available by reservation with the City of Reno at (775) 823-6501.

Need to know: When visiting the South Valleys Regional Sports Complex Reno Nevada, bring a picnic, bring a kite on a windy day, bring a ball to play catch and if you reserve a covered area with a barbecue pit, bring charcoal briquettes and anything else you need to get a barbecue going.

Extra Extra: Get more information about the South Valleys Regional Sports Complex Reno Nevada park on the Washoe County Parks website at https://www.washoecounty.us/

Website/Contact Information: (775) 823-6501, 15650 Wedge Pkwy, Reno, NV 89511, https://www.washoecounty.us/

Jump up, jump up and get down at EZ Air in South Reno, Nevada.

EZ Air is a unique spin on the bounce house playground. EZ Air is an indoor trampoline park in South Reno. A creative and exciting venue for all ages, from little kids all the way up to adults. EZ Air offers birthday parties, toddler Thursdays and several open bounce times throughout the week.

We first experienced EZ Air while attending a birthday party for our daughter’s classmate. It was on a Saturday and location was very busy. In fact, the time slot when we attended was sold out, but the good news is you can pre-book your bounce time online (we highly suggest this for the weekends).

Upon entering, there are racks for shoes and a sitting area for parents with comfy couches and TV’s. The first bounce area is a series of smaller trampolines (about 20+ of them) where the bouncers can run and jump; even jump off the side where there are trampolines lining the walls. The next area includes two trampolines you can run onto and jump into a large foam pit filled with super soft foam blocks. This was a big hit among the five year old group we were with, they were racing each other, seeing who could jump higher and in general the amount of giggling happening from this area made it clear this was a fan favorite.

Two more areas include trampolines to bounce towards basketball hoops, you too can be Michael Jordan or Lebron James!

Each area is monitored by an employee to ensure safety guidelines are always followed. When I took our three year-old, I was incredibly impressed with the employees who are all friendly and really know how to talk to a child. My three year-old was nervous and was not sure of himself, but was encouraged to give the various areas a try by several employees.

The entire place is large and open. We absolutely enjoyed our couple of visits to EZ Air and will surely be back many times with our children. If you haven’t visited this South Reno family friendly venue, it’s a great indoor place to get some energy out of your kids. I personally recommend booking your time for just before nap time… I promise you they will be tired!

Where: EZ Air, 895 E. Patriot Blvd., Suite#103 Reno, NV 89511.

What: EZ Air Indoor trampoline park.

When: All week long.

Need to know: Call ahead to book a Saturday session, birthday party or for best times for open jump.

Extra Extra: Check out all of their upcoming summer camps.

Website/Contact Information: www.EZAirSports.com.

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Get a taste of Hollywood at a locally owned salon just for kids. Pay a visit to Hollylocks in Reno, Nevada

After an unfortunate accident where my daughter had a knot in her hair and tried to remove it on her own… with scissors, my wife and I decided to try out another location in Reno that specializes in haircuts for kids. We chose Hollylocks in the same shopping location as Costco off Plumb Lane. Christine and I used to live down the street from the owners of Hollylocks when we were renting (prior to November 2012). We are glad we decided to try out Hollylocks.

The staff were incredibly friendly and the person who ended up *ahem* fixing my daughter’s hair was the actual owner of the establishment.

Hollylocks is not a franchise, but a wholly owned establishment with a local owner. You could really feel it in the atmosphere.

As a parent, sitting on the couches at Hollylocks was one of the most comfortable times I have ever had waiting for anyone in my family to do anything. They were extremely comfy. I could have sat there all day.

The wait wasn’t that long to be seen, even as a walk-in, and my daughter felt like a princess. They did a great job hiding her accident as well. Great work!

Hollylocks has a lot to offer:

• • Rockstar treatment (shampoo, condition, cut, blow dry, style)

• Haircuts for all hair types
• Baby’s First Haircut (My First Haircut certificate, Magnet Photo Frame, Photo, and lock of hair)
• Bang trims
• Braids
• Party Up-do’s (weddings, father-daughter dances, any special occassion)
• Birthday Parties
• Pre-Paid haircut packs (save money and get the option to make appointments)
• Gift Certificates
• Locks of Love
• Feathers

We couldn’t be more happy with our experience. We highly recommend you pay Hollylocks a visit and feel good about patronizing a local business.

Where: Hollylocks, 1296 E Plumb Ln Suite L, Reno, NV 89502, (775) 825-7905

What: Kids haircuts & parties

Need to know: Walk-ins are welcome and your daughter can get glitter in her hair. Boys are welcome too.

Extra Extra: Your kids can give back to other kids. Consider making donation to Locks of Love. What a great way to restore self-esteem and confidence to those who are suffering from long-term medical hair loss. Donations must be 10 inches. Your kid will receive a certificate and a photo of the donation.

Website/Contact Information: HollylocksReno.com. Phone: 775-825-7905

“We go together. Like rama lama lama ka dinga da dinga dong…” Grease The Muscial, at the Eldorado in downtown Reno, is a real treat for the entire family.

Grease is certainly the word in Reno over the Summer. For as long as I can remember, Hot August Nights has always been one of the most popular events in Northern Nevada. Growing up with the culture of the “oldies” in my home, which is embracing the era of the 50’s and 60’s, it was a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Eventually, I discovered the movie Grease. The music had me mesmerized. This past Summer, my daughter was watching a movie on Disney called “Teen Beach Movie” and she was signing along just like I used to sing along to Grease. So I decided to let her watch Grease. She loved it and that was when I knew we had to take her to see the live performance at the Eldorado in downtown Reno, Nevada.

I was able to get tickets for the second row for my daughter, my mom and myself. My daughter loves to dress up and, as a Broadway lover, I believe in dressing up for the theater, so we all got dressed up and headed off to the Eldorado Show Room for her first theater experience.

Once we arrived, the excitement of the theater had us all ready to sing along, the lights begin to dim and my daughter’s face lit up.

Honestly, the cast performing the show at the Eldorado put on a fantastic show. It was one of the best theater experiences I have ever had (and I saw Rent on Broadway, so that is saying a lot). The performers were absolutely on cue, the songs were perfect and the set was fun. All three of us enjoyed the show and I love that it was the first experience my daughter had with a live theater performance. This show helped her to catch the musical bug, she has been walking around the house singing and dancing ever since we saw the show.

I highly recommend locals go see this show before it closes its curtain in November. For more information about tickets and show times visit www.eldoradoreno.com/reno-entertainment/Grease.

Even if you have never seen Grease in its original form, it’s a must see!

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Put a smile on a child’s face by driving to a local neighborhood to view the best places to see Christmas light displays in Reno, Nevada.

Update: How’s the year 2020 treating you? COVID-19 got you down this year? Yeah, me too. But don’t fret. Viewing lights is one of those events where you can keep the windows up, social distance and enjoy an annual festive time of the year in the safety and comfort of your vehicle.

This article was updated on December 5, 2020 to add new places we’ve found since we originally posted this some years ago and to remove some that are no longer with us.  Take a look below and you might find something new for your viewing of Christmas light displays in Reno, Nevada.  – Enjoy.

Holiday magic brings with it the opportunity to view neighborhood Christmas light displays with your children. Reno, Nevada is no different in offering many places where you can take your children to view Christmas lights. The twinkling of the reds and the blues, the yellows and the greens, the pinks and the purples, the snowmen, the stars, the snowflakes, and nativity scenes, all bring excitement and wonder to children peering through frosty and often fogged-up car windows.

Two locations in the Reno/ Sparks, Nevada area come to mind when thinking about taking our kids out to look at Christmas lights. Hidden Valley and the Lights of Tanea.

When I was a kid and through high school, I would make the annual trip out to Hidden Valley off of East McCarran Boulevard, past Rosewood Lakes Golf Course, to view the Hidden Valley Parade of Lights throughout the entire Hidden Valley neighborhood. In fact, when moving back to Reno, this memory came to mind as something that I could share with my kids and it put a smile on my face just knowing I could share a piece of my childhood with them. When we came home for Christmas last year, we took a trip out to Hidden Valley and shared with our kids many of the houses that put up Christmas light displays. However, during that visit last year, it seems as though many of the lights had disappeared from the front lawns and yards in that neighborhood. Even though there were many houses with lights, there were not as many as there once were when I was younger. In fact, the local fire department would park their truck at the entrance and hand out candy canes. No such luck last year. I can only hope that it once again becomes as big and beautiful as it once was for the sake of people like me who want to share this memory with their children. It’s a Reno tradition; at least by my standards.

A Bright Light in the Damonte Ranch Neighborhood

In the Damonte Ranch neighborhood there is a great house that spared no expense and quite honestly reminds me of the way Lights of Tanea lit up the street.  This is one house that you just can’t miss located at 10878 Pebble Hill in Reno, Nevada.

Vidette Lights

Located at 5146 Vidette Meadows Drive in Sparks Nevada Vidette Lights is a Christmas light display that is a 4 minute show that runs every 30 minutes beginning at 5:00 pm and ending at 9:30 pm. This first year features an introduction by the Griswold Family followed by Carol of the Bells (Dubstep) by Capital Kings which are played on 100.5 FM. This year the show will run from December 13th to December 31.

Annual Carson Valley Parade of Lights

Location: On Highway 395 from Eddy Street to Minden Park

Unfortunately, this event was cancelled for the year 2020 as well. Maybe we’ll get to see it once again next year in 2021.

Learn more about the annual Carson Valley Parade of Lights and view pictures from past years on their website.

Lights of Omni

Lights of Omni boasts 8 Christmas song synchronized to the illumination of 60,000 LED lights.  Listen while in your car via the radio at FM 89.9.  Located at 290 Omni Drive in Sparks, Nevada.

Lights of Tanea on YouTube

In the spirit of giving, The Lights of Tanea helps spread awareness about Multiple Sclerosis and helps the community by accepting donations from the public on their website and in person in addition to providing a unique entertainment experience.

The following charities benefit from public donations through the Lights of Tanea:

• Multiple Sclerosis Great Basin Sierra Chapter – via monetary donations
• Friends of M.S. – via clothing Items
• Evelyn Mount – via non-perishable food items

The Lights of Tanea, located in south Reno at 16180 Tanea Drive, Reno, Nevada 89511, is a light show that is synchronized to music, if you tune in on your radio to 97.7 FM. This Christmas light show boasts that it is “[t]he Biggest Little Light Show in Reno started in 2006” and “[t]he show has always added to its size… and brings new technology” to the show year after year.

Here is more coverage about where to best view Christmas lights in Reno, Nevada:

• • ActiveRain.com: Lights are Shining in Reno
  • Reno Gazette-Journal (RGJ.com): Interactive map of Reno/Sparks, Nevada homes
  • About.com: Christmas Lights Displays in Reno
  • New To Reno coverage of the best Christmas light displays in Reno, Nevada
  • Nevada Moms:The Ultimate List of Christmas Light Hotspots in Reno, Sparks, & Carson City (UPDATED 2020)
  • This is Reno: Let Virginia City’s Christmas on the Comstock brighten your 2020 (sponsored)

These are only a few of the locations we want to share with our children this year. What are some other locations that are great for viewing Christmas lights in the Reno/Sparks, Incline Village, Lake Tahoe, Carson City, Fernley, Fallon, Nevada area? We’d love to hear your thoughts. Maybe, by this time next year we can be a resource for all things Northern Nevada when it comes to finding out about where to see the best Christmas light shows in the area. We need your help to cover this vast area. Where are the best Christmas light displays near you?

Finally, do you have lights up at your house? Please stop by our Facebook Fan Page and share a picture of with us. Nothing gets us in the mood more than seeing Christmas light displays and the spirit of us joining in a community of togetherness. Isn’t that what the season is all about?

Happy Holidays

The Playroom is an indoor play space for a cold and rainy or sweltering hot day for kids as old as eight years-old.

On a cold rainy day, like today, I like to take my children to The Playroom. The Playroom is an indoor play space where children can play as long as they like with no time limits that is mommy-owned and operated by Daniela Ferrari, a mother of 3 little girls who acquired the business in March of 2010.

“[Daniela Ferrari] is very involved in the local early childhood association and committed to continuing to develop fantastic programs for young children. She has also taken many graduate and continuing education classes in child development and is always looking to learn more. When talking about her work with kids, Daniela state[s], ‘I absolutely love working with children… it’s always been my love, my life, my passion!'” Source: The Playroom website

Ms. Ferrari was a customer prior to purchasing The Playroom. “She has always loved The Playroom and is very excited to be able to continue to offer it to the community.”

The Playroom motto is “Play, Grow, Celebrate”. These words ring true from what I experienced. My children and I had a great time at this location. Complete with a bounce house, child-sized pink house, complete with a kitchen and plastic-molded food as toys, a great climbing structure that just about any adult can fit inside (I am 6’5″ and I was easily able to scale the structure with the kids) complete with a tube slide, an area just for infants, rock climbing walls, seating for parents to watch, electronic massage chairs (you will need to pay to turn them on; similar to a vending machine), and much more.

I have to admit, I’m a little biased in my opinion because when I was living in San Diego, California for short period of time (July 2011 through January 2012), I was exposed to My Kids Clubhouse. My Kids Clubhouse is very similar to The Playroom in that there is unlimited playtime, a climbing structure, and other toys for the kids to play with, including a puppet show area. The climbing structure at My Kids Clubhouse is much larger than that found at The Playroom. Also, the space found at My Kids Clubhouse was much larger than The Playroom. However, The Playroom utilizes its space very well and I give them credit for that. Where The Playroom has a leg up on My Kids Clubhouse is the always present bounce house. My kids can’t get enough of jumping around in any bounce house. It’s a great choice for this location.

Since My Kids Clubhouse is in San Diego, California, it’s as though I’m comparing apples and oranges, and I don’t intend to do that. I also worked at Fun Quest while I was in high school and the Grand Sierra Resort was still the Reno Hilton; I will leave Fun Quest to another review. I just want you to know that I have another perspective of what The Playroom can be. That being said, The Playroom is a perfect play space for children in the Reno, Nevada area.

The Playroom is perfect for special occasions as well. Most weekends, the space is booked for birthday parties and other events where parents may want to have a private party. Most Saturdays, however, you can find The Playroom open for free play until noon. You may need to call in advance to find out if it is available for open play on Saturdays or sign up for their e-mail alerts. The latter is how I usually get news of events happening at The Playroom.

On our first trip, I decided to purchase a punch card so that my children and I can return whenever we like and we don’t have to worry about paying each time. I would highly encourage you to do the same.

From my impression, this location is perfect for children as old as eight years-old. My children are well within that range, so we found this place perfect for our family to enjoy several hours of free play. We were quite impressed with this indoor play space.

Have you visited the playroom? What was your experience? I can tell you most emphatically that my kids and I had a great time.

Where: 8745 Technology Way, suite F, Reno, NV 89521 (Near IGT on Double R Boulevard).

What: The Playroom indoor play space for kids.

Need to know: Open play on weekdays and until noon on (most) Saturdays. Perfect spot for birthday parties and private dad or mommy group times. Be sure to wear or bring a pair of socks with you. You can’t get in without them on your feet.

Check out their website for a detailed calendar.

Extra Extra: Get a punch card and save money and the time it takes to pay each visit.

Website/Contact Information: ThePlayroomInfo.com