Have you explored Planet Child yet? Located at 305A Ashville Ave in Cary (near WakeMed), it looks small from the outside, but has more than enough space inside for your kids' imaginations to wander. Pretend play is widely encouraged with a model grocery store, pirate ship and kitchen (complete with ironing board which I should be embarrassed to say that my kids do not recognize).  There is also a mini theater. Your little ones can jump on stage with a variety of puppets and costumes. If you’re lucky, they won’t ask you to do the same.

Little explorers can climb the stairs to the lighthouse, go through the undersea tunnel or embark on an African safari.  A model train is set up with various buttons to activate the train, as well as a gate and some of its buildings.  There is even a fabulous space for crawlers and new walkers.  Centrally located and enclosed by a half wall, babies have their own place to explore, safe from being run down by bigger kids.

Aimed at kids 7 and under, Planet Child definitely hits the mark.  But there is plenty for parents to love, too.  First of all, adult admission is FREE.  Bring as many sets of helping hands as you need without breaking the bank.  They also have a coffee bar.  I don’t even drink coffee and I think this is a great idea.  With your child’s safety in mind, the staff stamps you and your kids with a letter as you enter and checks upon exiting to make sure kids only leave with the adult who brought them.  They use a black light to view the stamp and this is my son’s favorite part of the visit.

One other important point is cleanliness.  I have never been there when I didn’t see the staff actively cleaning up the playthings.  I have seen them disinfecting individual pieces of fruit in the pretend grocery store.  There is hand sanitizer by the exit in case you’re still not convinced.

Check the Planet Child website at www.planetchild.com for hours and more details.  You’ll see that kids are half price on Wednesdays from 1 to 3 pm so it may be a great choice to occupy one of those early release days.  And there are a couple of coupons in your Citipass book, too.

Mandy usually appears weekends on TriangleMom2Mom.

Looking for other places to play with your kids? Go to www.trianglemom2mom.com/play and check back here every Thursday.