WOBURN, Mass. — As families head into spring break and plan summer vacations and weekend adventures, they are looking for places that will keep the kids busy.
Yelp just released its most saved kids’ activity in every state—and a local indoor play place made the list.
At this indoor play place in Woburn, kids can jump, climb, and slide.
“When we first opened, the play space was smaller and we slowly added more,” said Viktoriya Anastasia, co-owner of Vinkari Safari.
And then meander from room to room, either shooting hoops or cooking something up in the kitchen, the adventures at Vinkari Safari are endless.
“We rotate toys, we constantly look for something new,” said Viktoriya.
This family-run business opened in 2013, named after the owner’s children and created out of a need for something a little different.
“It was just built out of my frustration with the places I used to bring them to that had ball pits and things that I didn’t feel were very clean,” said Douglas Anastasia, co-owner of Vinkari Safari.
Douglas Anastasia wanted his kids to interact with others and get their energy out—in a safe and clean environment.
“We’re not perfect by any means, it’s a huge space, there are a ton of toys, a ton of climbing structures to clean, but we try very hard, we do try very hard every day to give it the best go we can,” said Douglas.
And the community has shown their appreciation, especially during the pandemic.
“A lot of them bought future visits, booked birthday parties, and gave deposits for future birthday parties,” said Douglas. “We really wouldn’t be here without them. They saved us quite literally.”
And now they’ve helped put Vinkari Safari on the map of Yelp’s most saved kids’ activity in Massachusetts—with parents interested in three big trends.
“Searches for indoor play centers grew over 61,000% year over year,” said Sophie Tavolieri, Boston’s Community Manager at Yelp. “The second is STEAM time over screen time, so parents are prioritizing things where their kids are focused on science or activities focused on science, technology, engineering, arts, and math. And then the third is creative experiences.”
Sophie Tavolieri is Boston’s community manager at Yelp. She says indoor play places no longer serve as just rainy-day backups.
“Especially in the summer, you think of the pool and beach and being out, but that often involves a snack routine, a sunblock routine—it’s kind of a whole production,” said Tavolieri. “So with these indoor spaces, you get that air-conditioned relief.”
She says places that offer educational opportunities are also on the rise.
“Kids aren’t even realizing they’re learning, and then parents are feeling good about how they’ve spent the afternoon with their kids,” said Tavolieri.
For Vinkari Safari, the focus is on young kids between six months to seven years old, socializing and learning—a win-win for parents.
“I always thought we would evolve as our children got older, but we found a niche and we stuck with it,” said Douglas.
Yelp is finding that high-energy places are replacing quiet play areas. Some of the other most saved kids’ activities include the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire in Dover and Maine Warrior Gym in South Portland.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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