PLEASE NOTE: This post was written in 2015, and while it should still give you a good overview of the experience, it is also possible that it may contain some outdated information. Please check their website for the most current information, especially about things like schedules and pricing.
2015 POST
Thank you to Sky Zone Trampoline Park in Wallingford, CT for giving my family complimentary admission for this visit. All opinions are 100% my own.
Cut to the chase. Take me to the Momsense.
Here’s the thing about writing a blog about things to do with kids: you are always, always, ALWAYS thinking about new things to do with your kids. Always. So when a Facebook friend of mine (who doesn’t even live in Connecticut!) posted some pics of her kids playing at a trampoline park called Sky Zone that looked like a ton of fun, the first thing I thought was, gee, I wonder if they have a location in my neck of the woods. And guess what? They do! In fact, there are two Sky Zone locations already in CT, and two more in the works (including one that has just been announced for the Hartford area!). So I contacted the one currently closest to me in Wallingford, CT and asked if I could bring my crew down for one of their bi-weekly “Toddler Time” sessions for kids ages 5 and under.
Now, if you’ve been following our blog for a while, you may remember that we’ve written about two other trampoline parks that are relatively new additions to the CT scene: Flight in New Britain and Launch in Hartford. (Trampoline parks seem to be springing up all over the place–sorry, couldn’t resist 🙂 ) So I thought it might be helpful to point out some key facts about Sky Zone to help distinguish them from the others:
- Sky Zone offers Toddler Time, a special session reserved for kids ages 5 and under, twice a week on Friday mornings (10-12) and Sunday mornings (9-11). The price of admission ($9/child) covers that entire time (it’s not a time-specific ticket like at other open jump times), and kids have access to (almost) everywhere in the facility.
- Parents cannot jump during Toddler Time. This is for the safety of the little ones. Even just a little bit of jumping by a big person can unintentionally knock a little one right off their feet. So it’s kind of nice if you have a really little one since you won’t have to worry about adults accidentally trouncing them. Adults can, however, accompany their kids onto the trampolines and sit or stand on the pads nearby to help them. (Adults are admitted FREE during Toddler Time, by the way.)
- There is no kiddie court. Everyone can jump everywhere. But during peak times (weekends, holidays, school vacations), jumpers under 40 inches tall MUST jump BEFORE noon (but be aware that taller people may be jumping at that time too). Sky Zone will try to separate jumpers by size for safety reasons, which means that parents may not be able to jump with their (smaller in size) children if they are in an area where there are other children jumping too. It’s all in the name of safety though. And we like safety 🙂
- You must purchase and wear “SkySocks” in order to be anywhere on the trampolines or pads (this includes parents who are accompanying their children). They cost $2/pair, come in a variety of sizes, are reusable for every subsequent visit, and trust me, when you see how your kiddos are going to run around like a bunch of lunatics when they discover how much fun they can have on giant trampolines, you are going to be so happy they have a whole lotta anti-slip action going on.
- It is always encouraged to reserve your jump time online prior to your arrival (you can do this for Toddler Time as well) so you don’t get all the way there and find that they are full to capacity. That being said, Toddler Time doesn’t usually sell out (especially the Friday morning time), so you are probably ok to just drop-in. Definitely reserve ahead of time if you are planning a visit during peak times (weekends, holidays, school vacations).
- There’s food available for purchase and a large area with tables for eating. A snack bar sells beverages, pizza, ice cream and snacks. No outside food is allowed though.
Okay, so now that we’ve cleared up some key facts, how about a little virtual tour?
So if you’re coming from the same direction I did, you’re going to pass the facility and what looks like the entrance/parking area on your right.
And if you’re also not paying attention like me, you will turn into this parking lot because you completely missed the GIANT sign that says “Entry 200 feet” with a big arrow.
The entrance to Sky Zone is actually, well, about 200 feet up from here.
There’s a large parking area right out front. We went down there for one of their Sunday morning Toddler Times and it was hoppin’! But we still found a space no problem.
When you enter, the admission desk is to your left, and if you haven’t already filled out a waiver online in advance, you can do it at the waiver station to your right (you can also print a waiver in advance, fill it out, and bring it in with you). By the way, parents you are also going to need to fill out a waiver for yourself. If you are the one to complete and sign the waiver that also covers your children, you are good. But if, for example, you have your husband fill out the waiver for your two kids ahead of time, and then you think you’ve been all smart planning ahead and everything, you are going to walk in and find out that in fact you still have to complete another waiver that covers you. And then you don’t feel quite as smart. You know, hypothetically speaking…
As I mentioned above, admission for Toddler Time is $9/child (no charge for adults) and that is a flat rate for the whole session, whether you are there for two hours or 30 minutes. SkySocks are $2/pair (adults must wear them too), but they are yours to keep and wear again and again on future visits.
There are several areas to stow your belongings while you jump. There are lots of open shelves, a coat rack, and even one-time use lockers if you’d like something a little more secure (just remember that every time you open the locker, you’ll need to put change in again to lock it; if you don’t have change, you can get it at the admissions desk).
This area also has lots of tables and chairs, and a small snack bar. Outside food or beverages are not allowed, however.
When you’ve slipped on your SkySocks, stashed your belongings, and placed the admission sticker you’ll receive at the desk on your child’s back (that’s where they tell you to put it) you can head up the stairs towards the different jumping areas. There is also a ramp and yes, you can bring your stroller right up there with you! Good news for anyone also toting an infant 🙂
If you head to your left, that is where you’ll find the Main Court. This is the biggest area for bouncing and for Toddler Time, they also put out some foam blocks and balls that the kids can play with.
To your right, you will see the basketball court (Sky Slam Court) and then up another ramp, the ever-popular Foam Court–like the ball pit of our youth, but much bigger and with foam blocks 🙂
Seriously, I thought we were going to have to find a net to drag Boo out of there. He was loving it!
As you can see, it was pretty crowded during this session. But that’s no surprise considering it was a Sunday. If you are hoping for a more low-key, less crowded experience for your littlest ones, you’ll probably find the Friday morning session to be a little more your speed.
I was pleasantly surprised to see how attentive the parents were being–everyone was monitoring their kids closely to make sure there were no avoidable accidents. But even so, there was a Sky Zone staff member stationed just about every couple feet. So you can be confident that all the rules are being enforced and your little one will be safe.
We let the kiddos jump for about an hour, and truth be told, that was plenty! They were exhausted.
If we had had more time that day, we may have followed up our visit to Sky Zone with a yummy lunch at one of the nearby restaurants like Wood-n-Tap, Dad’s Restaurant, Chili’s, various pizza places, and many more options.
But since we had to rush back, we settled for a quick stop at Dunkin Donuts for a couple coffees (yay coffee!) for us grown-ups and a few munchkins for our munchkins 🙂 After all that non-stop activity, they certainly earned them!
Have you been to Sky Zone? Tell us about your experience in the comments section below.
Sky Zone Trampoline Park
805 N. Colony Road, Wallingford, Connecticut
Phone: 203-269-2000
Email: wallingfordevents@skyzone.com
Find them on Facebook here!
Other CT locations include Bethel, and coming soon Norwalk and Hartford!
Hours:
Jumpers under 40 inches tall MUST jump before 12pm on peak days (Weekends, Holidays and School Vacations). Be aware Sky Zone separates jumpers by size for safety. Familiarize yourself with their other rules here. Find additional FAQs here.
Be sure to fill out a waiver online (or at least print and complete the waiver) to save time on arrival.
(Below is the Business Hours/Open Jump schedule. Click here for more information about specific programs, activities and classes.)
Monday-Closed
Tuesday: 3pm-8pm
Wednesday: 3pm-8pm
Thursday: 3pm-8pm
Friday 12pm-9pm (Toddler Time 10am-12pm; Jumpapalooza 9pm-11pm)
Saturday 10am-11pm (SkyJam 9pm-11pm)
Sunday 11am-7pm (Toddler Time 9am-11am)
Pricing:
Toddler Time (for ages 5 and under) is $9/child per session (no charge for adults)
Additional pricing details for open jump times and special events:
30 Minutes – $9
60 Minutes – $14
90 Minutes – $19
120 Minutes – $23
Jumpapalooza – $16 (Friday nights 9-11pm)
SkyJam (14+) – $16 (Saturday nights 9-11pm)
Toddler Time – $9
Required SkySocks $2 additional for all activities. They are yours to keep and reuse.
Details:
- Stroller Friendly: YES. You can bring your stroller anywhere in the facility. (Well, except actually on the trampolines. Duh.)
- Coffee Mug Friendly: NO. There are no outside beverages allowed at Sky Zone, and definitely no food or beverages allowed in the trampoline areas–trust me, it’s hard enough to balance yourself on the trampoline courts with all that bouncing; you wouldn’t want to be balancing a beverage anyway 🙂
- Restroom: YES. The restrooms are located to the right side of the table seating area.
- Baby Changing Station: YES. There was one in the women’s restroom in the handicap stall (not sure about the men’s room).
- Parking: YES. Plenty of free parking is available in front of the building.
- Food for Sale: YES. Pizza, ice cream, bagged snacks, Icees, cold drinks, (currently no coffee, but I was told this is being worked on 🙂 )
- Outside Food Allowed: NO.
- Cash Required: NOT REALLY. Credit cards are accepted, but if you want to use the lockers you’ll need to bring change or at least some cash that you can get change for at the admissions desk.
- Dress Code: YES. You must wear special “SkySocks” that you purchase there for $2 and can then reuse for all subsequent visits.
- Evening/Weekend Hours: YES. There is a Toddler Time session on Sunday mornings!
- Discounts: You can check this page to find out about current discounts and “like” them on Facebook for updates and special promotions.
- Birthday Party Venue: YES. Get more information here.
- NEW: Marie-Chantal Luxury Children’s wear – Giving one lucky reader a chance to WIN $500 to spend in their online store. Marie-Chantal is a global lifestyle brand creating unique and beautifully crafted designer children’s clothes and gifts for boys and girls from newborn to 12 years old.
- Connecticut Children’s Medical Center – The state’s only free-standing hospital that offers comprehensive, world-class health care to children. Based in Hartford, Connecticut Children’s also provides services at several locations throughout the state.
- The Independent Day School – Located on a rural campus in Middlefield, CT this private pre-school, elementary and middle school serves families from over 20 communities.
- Mandell JCC – The Mandell JCC, Zachs Campus, 335 Bloomfield Avenue, West Hartford, CT, welcomes and serves families and individuals of all ages, stages, backgrounds and faiths. Our fitness, wellness and recreation, arts and culture, camp, early childhood education programs, classes, clubs and services are open to all. You Belong Here!
Want to keep up with things to do with kids in Connecticut?
Check back every Tuesday and Thursday as we dish up more Momsense for getting out and about with your little ones. Don’t have time to check back in? Let us send you an automatic notification of new posts straight to your email inbox by signing up here. Also, you can like us on Facebook and Twitter to keep up with the latest posts and get some extra tidbits we share only through those sites.