Your little monkey loves to climb, climb, climb. When he or she gets tired of scurrying up the ladders at the playground, head to an indoor tree house. You’ll find big, faux trees made just for kids at special spots around town, and they’re well worth the trip. Click through our album to see where you can make like Tarzan and Jane — swinging, climbing, sliding and playing the day away.
What is your favorite indoor play space? Let us know in the Comments!
— Tiana Kubik
West Berlin, New Jersey might not seem like the hippest day trip destination within a 90-minute drive of Manhattan, but the brand new construction vehicle inspired theme park Diggerland USA is a childhood dream come to life, for boys and girls alike. Once there, you’ll realize you’d have gladly driven twice as long to have so much fun. Where else can your child operate heavy machinery, race mini-Land Rovers, drive dump trucks, climb a 4-story ropes course and take a spin on a one-of-a-kind carousel? Here are 13 reasons why Diggerland USA is worth the drive down the Turnpike.
Go: Diggerland USA
100 Pinedge Dr., West Berlin, Nj
Ages: All ages are welcome, but the park is best for kids who are at least 36 inches tall (the shortest height requirement for rides, though some require kids to be 42 or 48 inches tall). Shorter and younger kids can still enjoy the Kid Zone playground.
Cost: Full-day tickets to Diggerland USA are $29.95 online ($34.95 at the gate), with free admission for guests under 36″ tall and over the age of 65.
Hours: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. daily through Labor Day (weekend-only hours begin in September)
Have you checked out this one-of-a-kind theme park yet? Tell us about your trip in a Comment.
–Jeff Bogle
All photos by Jeff Bogle
Remember the days when having a tree house in your back yard was pretty much the coolest thing ever? If you were the lucky kid on the block who had one, you were definitely the envy of all the other tree house-less kiddos. Well, forget the plywood boards and ropes because tree houses have come a long way since we were kids. This week we were tipped off to this totally memorable and (literally) jaw-dropping tree house. All we gotta say is, this kid is one lucky guy.
Photo courtesy of RULAV siteIn the Summer of 2007, an unlucky pop found himself reluctantly committed to building a treehouse for his son. Instead of throwing together a slapstick job, the project manifested into a rocket ship! After a year of welding, grinding, laser cutting, and even getting circuit boards custom cut from China, this Ravenna Ultra-Low-Altitude Vehicle (or known as RULAV) landed right in the backyard of one lucky boy.
More like a capsule than an actual house, the RULAV features pilot controls, thrusters and vibrates to simulate a real rocket engine. This isn’t just for fantasy riders, so fear of heights should caution (no real flight involved) as you climb up to view the beautiful backyard from the top hatch. It also has an in-rocket network that allows for kiddos to talk back to the house. This pop sure knows how to win the Best Dad of the Year Award.
Check out the video below to see the RULAV in action. Caution: If showing to the kiddos, it might inspire a “Daddy, make me one too!”
Online: content.rocket.jonh.net/intro.html
This is by far one of the most amazing tree houses we’ve ever seen. Do you agree or disagree? Let us know below.
— Christal Yuen
