With word that Fun World is closing soon, the arrival of Kids in Motion, 14135 W. Greenfield Ave., in New Berlin, is welcome news.
Located in a strip mall, Kids in Motion's exterior is deceptive. From the outside it looks small and low-key. But inside, there is a maze of climbing tubes and slides and an array of themed rooms that keep kids moving.
And because it's new, Kids in Motion -- which bills itself as a "parent supervised indoor learning and entertainment center" for kids up to age 12 -- looks to be about the cleanest kids play place I've run across.
Around the perimeter of the large, mostly open space are rooms that feature specific activities. There's a music room with maracas and other instruments, a game room with table tennis and air hockey, a laser tag space, a puzzle room, a science lab room, a train room, a play grocery store room, a construction site room ... you get the picture.
In the wide open area in the middle are the climbing tunnels and slides and right next to it -- best of all for parents -- are big, plush comfy chairs offering a good view. Along one wall there are tables for snack/lunch time and there is a menu, including pizza, granola bars, juice boxes and that sort of thing, available.
Outside one of the rooms, a machine rains bubbles down -- much to the delight of kids -- every 20 minutes.
There's no loud music blaring -- there are boisterious kids, of course -- so the vibe is fun without being overbearing.
Admission is $10 for kids on Fridays and Saturdays from 9 a.m.-7 p.m. and Sunday from 11 to 6; and $6 Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Parents and kids under 12 months get in free.
You can also buy a punch card for 10 visits for $50. There is also free WiFi and I saw at least one mom with a laptop while her kids were off playing.
There is currently a range of promotions celebrating the grand opening -- 1/2 off after 5 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday and free coffee on Monday mornings, for example.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
