Sky High Sports in Niles - Trampoline Power!

Ever since the first indoor trampoline play area in the Chicago area opened, my daughters have been begging to go.  I just wasn't up for the drive to a far-reaching suburb so they could jump for an hour or two.  Besides, the neighbors have a trampoline my kids are always using, so it's not like they're trampoline deprived.  But then Sky High Sports opened in Niles, about 10 minutes away, so I finally relented.

On a Friday when school was out for a teacher's in-service day, I brought my girls and 3 neighbors (total of 3 girls and 2 boys, ranging from 8 - 12 years) for some jump time.  The kids convinced me that 2 hours of jumping was what they needed.  I agreed, and then experienced a little sticker shock when I found out it would be $22 per child.  Weekends are more expensive since there are generally more people jumping, and  the weekend rates kick in on Friday morning.  Yikes!  Oh well, it's a once in awhile treat, right?

The place is HUGE, well maintained and clean.  The staff is very helpful, plentiful and friendly.  The above photo shows the main court areas, with the "Main Court" and "Foam Pit" to the left and the "Dodgeball Court" and a "Birthday Party Court" to the right.  Straight ahead is a party area and a comfy sitting area for moms like me to relax in while the kids play and jump.

The Foam Pit is a favorite.  There are 3 lines, carefully managed by a staffer (guy in yellow shirt).  Kids take turns jumping into the foam pit, and can literally bounce off the walls if they choose to.  The staffer makes sure kids wait their turn, which is a nice safety feature, and that they get out of the foam pit pretty immediately so the kids in line don't have to wait too long.

The other favorite court is the Dodgeball Court.  Two staffers manned this court, allowing only a certain number of kids in at a time and ensuring the sides were evenly split.  They then blow a whistle to start the game, and act as referees so kids leave the game when they get hit by a ball.  The boys especially loved this court.  It's a lot of fun when there are enough kids, but for the last hour we were there, it was pretty empty and the dodgeball games became never-ending with noone ever having to leave.  I guess that has it's advantages and disadvantages.

I took a walk around, and tried to visit the Kids Court, but it was closed.  A staff member explained that they only open this area for kids 8 and under when there's a lot of people jumping.  This wasn't an issue when we were there, since by the time we left there were only 3 other kids remaining.  But it's nice that this is an option when it gets busy and you have younger kids who want to jump without worrying about the big kids getting in their way.  The Kids Court is very segregated from the main jumping area, too,

The facility has 2 pool tables and a small arcade area, as well as vending machines with beverages and snacks.  A bottle of water or other drink was $1.75, so when the kids got thirsty I sent them to the drinking fountain near the restrooms.  It is quite a distance from the jumping area, and since kids aren't known for seeking out inconvenient anything, it's a good idea to remind them to get a drink once in awhile.

My favorite part of this big warehouse space was the cushy area for parents, with comfy leather couches and 4 flat screen tvs on the wall.  I brought my book and iphone and chillaxed while the kids jumped their hearts out.  After 1.5 hours, they were exhausted, hungry and thirsty and ready to leave.  I couldn't believe it when all 5 told me they wanted to go.  Since I had just doled out $22 per kid to jump for 2 hours, they were darned well going to jump for 2 hours!  They all made several visits back to the couches during the last half hour, but they got their money's worth.  Next time I will definitely only pay for one hour.  Jumping expends a lot of energy, so I think for most kids 1 hour is plenty.

There are 2 courts reserved specifically for kids birthday parties, so the party attendees can jump without interference from others, which is really nice.  The tables are in a public area, though, so that part of the party is not very private.  I don't think that would bother the kids, though.

All in all, I was really impressed with Sky High Sports. It's a great kids indoor fun area and a way get great exercise at the same time.  There's a small snack cafe, too, if you want a bite to eat.  It is a little pricey, but a fun way for the kids to burn off energy and get some great exercise.  Really, after an hour they'll be exhausted.  If you're looking for more Chicago indoor play areas, check out kidwinks.com.  And if your kids work up an appetite while they're jumping, I recommend the Kids Eat Free Calendar - just click on a day and you'll get a list of restaurants offering kids eat free deals for that day!