WISCONSIN FAMILY

Can't stand the cold? These Green Bay-area indoor play spaces are perfect for antsy children

Appleton Post-Crescent

Kids play in a water-based exhibit at the Children's Museum of Green Bay on June 25, 2023, in Green Bay, Wis.

Do your little ones need a place to run, jump, climb and more, but are limited by the winter weather?

You don’t have to brave the cold to have some fun; there are a plethora of indoor play options for children younger than 5 in the Green Bay area.

More:10 indoor play spaces across the Fox Valley where young children can burn off energy this winter

The Children's Museum of Green Bay

No matter what your child is interested in, with the multitude of exhibits at The Children’s Museum of Green Bay, they are bound to find something that interests them. The museum contains a fictional town of its own that includes a fire station where future firefighters can learn to respond to emergencies, a vet clinic where young animal lovers can tend to sick pets and more.

While most of the museum will engage children in the 2- to 5-year-old age range, its executive director, Toni Burnett, said, it is suitable for children up to age 9. The Baby Bungalow is an enclosed space for little explorers ages 2 and younger and their caregivers. The nook is filled with age-appropriate toys, books and more.

Museum memberships are available. General admission is $8, while admission for those 62 and older is $7 and children younger than 15 months get in for free. The museum also has a Children of Promise Program; eligible families, such as those in foster care or experiencing financial hardships, can visit the museum for $3 a person living in the household.

Every month, The Children’s Museum hosts a free evening for children who face sensory challenges. During this time, lights are dimmed and noise is minimal. Check the museum's Facebook page for upcoming dates and times. The next Sensory Friendly Night is 3 to 5 p.m. Jan. 25.

The museum, 1230 Bay Beach Road, Green Bay, is open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and noon to 3 p.m. Sundays. It is closed Mondays.

Get Air Trampoline Park

Green Bay’s Get Air Trampoline Park has a kiddie playground for children 46 inches tall and under. The two-story playground allows your little one to navigate through tunnels and slides at their own pace. The older, taller kids in your family can enjoy bouncing through the trampoline park, basketball, dodgeball, foam pits and more.

Get Air also has dedicated Toddler Time for children 46 inches and under and their parents to have free run of the park — no big kids allowed. These special times are 10 a.m. to noon Tuesdays and Thursdays and 8 to 10 a.m. Sundays.

From 8 to 10 a.m. the first Saturday of every month, children with disabilities and other needs and their families can play in a calmer atmosphere designed specifically for them.

Get Air, 790 Hansen Road, Suite A, Green Bay, is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Prices can be found online at Get Air’s website.

Green Bay Community Church's Children's Play Area

Green Bay Community Church sports an indoor playground that is open to the larger community. Children up to age 8 can enjoy slides, Jungle Jumparoos, a balance beam and — toddlers’ favorites — foam blocks and climbers. Caregivers can choose to watch their children from inside or outside the play area, as it is visible through glass windows.

Perhaps the best part? It is free!

The play area is inside the main lobby of Green Bay Community Church, 600 Cardinal Lane, Green Bay. The playground is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesdays.

Sports Emporium

Sports Emporium has special times for tots to rule the field from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Tuesdays, through March 26. Children ages 1 to 5 can enjoy bounce houses, slides, tunnels, mini basketball, soccer and more.

Prices are by hour: $5 per hour for one child, and $8 an hour for the family.

The Sports Emporium is at 1856 Nimitz Drive, De Pere.

Kidz Town

De Pere’s Kidz Town is geared toward infants, young toddlers and children in preschool and kindergarten. It sports over 2,500 square feet of open play space. There is a separate, gated infant area for children ages 2 and younger that includes baby toys and baby bouncers.

Outside the infant area, children can engage in imaginative play in its mock house, diner, garage, vet and more. There are also two playhouses with slides connected by a tunnel, endless toys and more. While you are welcome to bring in your own snacks, Kidz Town also has its own cafe area.

If you need a space to breastfeed or your little one needs a break from the commotion, you can go into an empty party room.

Kidz Town, 1109 Honey Court, De Pere, is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays and noon to 4 p.m. Sundays.

Children younger than 12 months can play for free with a paying sibling. Otherwise it’s $5 for children younger than 12 months. It’s $11 for one child 12 months through 12 years old and $6 for additional siblings.

Tri-County Gymnastics & Cheer

In addition to classes, Tri-County Gymnastics and Cheer, 2789 Allied St., Green Bay, offers an assortment of open gyms that allow all children to burn off their winter energy. The Parent-Tot Open Gym is just for children 5 and younger, allowing the littles, with the help of their parents, to access full-sized and tot-sized equipment, mats and more. This special time is from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Mondays and Fridays. Parents must fill out a medical waiver when they sign in and supervise their children at all times.

For children of all ages (including those 4 and younger with parental supervision), there are daytime playtime open gyms and Friday night open gyms. Both include full access to the gym, including the tumble track, trampoline, balance beams and rock wall. The daytime playtimes are $10 for both members and nonmembers and are held from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays and 1 to 3 p.m. Fridays. The Friday night open gyms, 7 to 9 p.m. Fridays, are $12 for members and $15 for nonmembers.

Air Force Gymnastics

Green Bay’s Air Force Gymnastics, 969 N. Military Ave., offers multiple open gym options for its members as well as the general public. For children ages 6 and younger, there are parent-child open gyms filled with trampolines, bounce houses, bars, beams, mats and even an obstacle course. Admission to parent-child open gym is $3 per child or free for kids who aren't yet walking. Caregivers must attend parent-child open gym with their little one. Air Force holds its parent-child open gyms from 10 to 11 a.m. Mondays and Thursdays and noon to 1 p.m. Saturdays.

Air Force holds open gyms for ages 6 to 18, and at this open gym children do not need to be supervised by a caregiver. Air Force members can attend open gym for $7, and nonmembers can attend for $10. All participants need to have a signed parent waiver to play. Open gyms are held from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Fridays.

Starz Gymnastics Academy

Like Air Force, Starz Gymnastics Academy, 807 Parkview Road, Green Bay, offers multiple open gym options that depend on the age of the child. Preschool open gyms are for children who are walking age to 5 years old. Here, little ones can enjoy the full gym, which includes a large inflatable slide, trampolines, foam pit, bars, beams, a spring floor and mats. The cost is $5 per child; one adult per child is required to attend. Preschool open gyms are held from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Fridays.

Children ages 6-17, and 5-year-olds with an older sibling can attend open gyms from 8 to 9 p.m. Fridays. They also have access to the full gym and its equipment. Parents don’t need to be present to supervise their children at open gyms. The cost is $10 per child.

For children who need a break from the commotion at the gym, there is a separate room used for birthday parties that they can relax in. Just inform the host that your child may need to use it, and they will ensure it is left open. There’s also a large, open lobby area available.

SAGA Sports Gymnastics

This Suamico gymnastics center, 13698 Velp Ave., Suamico, offers parent-tot open gyms for children 5 and younger and their caregivers, who are required to attend to supervise their children. During the parent-tot open gym, little ones have free run of the gym, so they can enjoy the foam pit, trampolines, balance beams, bars, climbing wall and more. The price is $7 for nonmembers and $4.90 for members. Pre-registration at sagasports.us/open-gym is not required, but highly recommended. By pre-registering, it will create an online waiver. This, along with preventing the need to create an account at the front desk, will save time on play day. During the school year, parent-tot open gyms are from 9 to 11 a.m. on Saturdays.

For the older kids — they must be 5 or older — there is a specific open gym. At this open gym, parents do not need to supervise their children as there are staff on patrol of the gym. They can access all gym equipment. Similar to the parent-tot open gym, pre-registration is not required, but highly recommended as the waiver can be filled out ahead of time. During the school year, these open gyms for the older kids are from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Fridays and from 10 to 11 a.m. Saturdays.

Children needing a break are welcome to use the calmer environment in the lobby.

Integrated Sensory

The open-access sensory gym prides itself on being a place where people of all ages — those who find it difficult to react to sensory stimuli like light, sound and more as well as those who do not face these struggles — can play and move freely. Everything in the gym is deliberate, from the staff having TBRI evidence-based trauma informed training, colors in the space and LED lighting to having carefully selected, if any, music. Children can enjoy therapeutic swings, a climbing dome, rock wall, ball pit, scooter board raceway and more. When it’s time to calm down after play, they can chill in a specially crafted multisensory environment.

For the littlest explorers, there’s a toddler area with a slide, climbing area and more.

While memberships, which include unlimited play, are available, nonmembers are welcome. Both members and nonmembers are encouraged to sign up for either a one- or two-hour time slot online in advance. An hour of play costs $10, and two hours of play costs $15 for nonmembers.

Integrated Sensory, 3863 Norrie Drive, Suite 2, Green Bay, is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursdays, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fridays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays.

Bay Park Square Mall Children's Play area

With its indoor children’s play area, the Bay Park Square Mall, 303 Bay Park Square, Green Bay, can be a favorite destination for adults who love to shop as well as their tots. Young children can enjoy climbing on a little airplane, boat, and more, while the soft floor cushions the inevitable tumbles young children are bound to take. There are also slides, tunnels and puzzles and games on the enclosure’s walls.

Playing on the playground is free, and it is open during mall hours: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays.

Madison Lammert covers child care and early education across Wisconsin as a Report for America corps member based at The Appleton Post-Crescent. To contact her, email mlammert@gannett.com or call 920-993-7108. Please consider supporting journalism that informs our democracy with a tax-deductible gift to Report for America.