Fun, not under the sun

Children giggle as they go down the slides nudge each other while they climb up and down the jungle gym jump on the trampoline and race across tunnels mdash but hang on this is not a scene from a public park Wersquore at the monthold indoor play centre Funky Monkeys bang in the heart of corporate Mumbai where the air is conditioned and the sand is replaced by soft foam Here yoursquoll find 3000 sq ft of space dedicated to ldquounstructured free playrdquo mdash a haven for children aged 6 months to 10 years Irene Wolf goes down the slide with her four yearold daughter Emma at Lower Parelbased indoor play centre Funky Monkeys Pics Datta Kumbhar Indoor play was first introduced in Mumbai in 2010 when Happy Planet was set up in an old mill in Kanjurmarg east The 15000 sq ft property offers a combination of automated rides video games and free play zones for toddlers as well as older children This was the first time a play zone which includes vertical step climbs spiral tube slides a 20 ft high slide a mini worm train and a trampoline typically found in outdoor parks was brought indoors Most recently SMAAASH another Lower Parelbased entertainment centre brought the quintessential gully game cricket indoors on November 30 In a city starved of open spaces can these centres serve as a respite Moreover can they compensate for our lack of sanitised wellmaintained public parks and open spaces Seven yearold Tanya Syed right plays with her friends in the sand pit in her building compound in Worli every evening ldquoYesrdquo says Irene Wolf nodding vehemently Wolf originally from Germany has been living in Bandra for the past two years ldquoI bring my four yearold daughter Emma to Funky Monkeys at least twice a week after school Sometimes I take her to Union Park which is near our house but there are too many mosquitoes there Besides it is not at all safe because the equipment is rusty and she can get cut It makes me very nervous Funky Monkeys is wellmaintained and extremely clean I know that she is absolutely safe hererdquo Indoor play zones serve as a great alternative to outdoor activity believes Nimish Kenia owner of Happy Planet ldquoNowadays parents are fussier about the heat and the rain Additionally there is a lack of open spaces in the city and having an indoor play area is an absolute necessityrdquo he adds Children enjoy the mini worm train at Happy Planet in Kanjurmarg east pic courtesyhappy planet Supplement not a substitute Child psychiatrist Dr Pervin Dadachandji however is more circumspect ldquoIf we think about it practically at least this kind of play encourages physical activity We donrsquot have that much open space in the city but every child must spend some time at play In the case of indoor play something is better than nothing But on the other hand the child is not exposed to enough sunlight and fresh airrdquo says Dadachandji She acknowledges that the cityrsquos pollution levels allow little fresh air for citizens to breathe in but adds that a lack of sufficient exposure to the sunlight has led to a majority of Mumbairsquos children suffering from a Vitamin D deficiency For Mansi Zaveri mother of 4 yearold Aanya there is no question of replacing outdoor play with an indoor alternative But she doesnrsquot rule out the option altogether ldquoIndoor play is not a substitute but an addition The outdoors has a charm of its own I take my daughter to Mahindra Park at Breach Candy as often as I can But places like Happy Planet and Funky Monkeys provide a different environment for children to enjoy themselves inrdquo says Zaveri who maintains Kids Stop Press a blog for mothers and children An allweather option Although Zaveri refrains from endorsing these entertainment zones she agrees that they are a great option during our bad weather mdash both monsoon and humid summer mdash months u00a0SMAAASH which aims to encourage cricket enthusiasts to rediscover the cricketer in them allows you to play the sport without the disadvantage and discomfort of the sun and sweat ldquoThe idea is to provide a controlled environment where you can play without feeling tired In fact the temperature control keeps you energised and lets you have more fun Those who would feel lazy about playing in the 33 degree heat will jump at the opportunity It will encourage people to turn sportsman from spectatorrdquo says Shripal Morakhia founder of SMAAASH While Funky Monkeys welcomes those below 4 ft SMAAASH allows you to pad up only if yoursquore above the 4 ft bar Morakhiarsquos concept includes more than just a controlled environment Through his use of technology he offers a cricketing experience no maidan possibly can Choose any one of the seven batting lanes pad up pick up the bat wear a helmet and get ready to face Shane Warne Lasith Malinga or Wasim Akram among others The screen in front of you will show the bowler running towards you just as the ball pops out of the bowling machine ldquoShane Warne might have bowled his ball of the millennium just once But at SMAAASH you can bat to that ball as many times as you likerdquo laughs Morakhia referring to the ball Australian bowler Shane Warne had delivered to Englandrsquos Mike Gatting during the 1993 Ashes Test series at Old Trafford Manchester Building sandcastles Ruchi Syed is wary of the idea of replacing outdoor sport with indoor activity ldquoPlaying outdoors is an absolute mustrdquo believes the mother of seven yearold Tanya ldquoTanya plays downstairs in the building compound every day There is a huge group of children that gather downstairs every day Luckily most parents in the building encourage their children to play in the sand pitrdquo Syed a resident of Worli deems the soft play at places like Funky Monkeys and Happy Planet insufficient for the gross motor development of children ldquoPlaying in the mud and sand is extremely important which is something Tanya enjoys just as much as enjoys indoor sportrdquo she says Although she canrsquot provide sand or mud Binita Putcha assures us that the toddler zone at Funky Monkeys allows children to play and learn ldquoOur engaging wall panels are a great way for toddlers to develop their fine motor skillsrdquo she says Then there are others like Colaba resident Nidhi Multani who donrsquot have the luxury of the open space Syedrsquos building in Worli offers She is frustrated by the lack of open spaces near her house ldquoEven spaces that have been reserved for public play areas are now being encroached uponrdquo says Multani mother of two Funky Monkeys comes as a respite for this family whose weekend outings are usually restricted to malls Not for the masses ldquoIn a city so desperately short of outdoor options we canrsquot really complain about these indoor spaces coming uprdquo says Nayana Kathpalia coconvenor NGO Citispace ldquoThe negative bit about these centres however is that they are a bit too expensive for the massesrdquo While a batting session at SMAAASH can cost you a minimum of Rs 500 for 15 minutes a round of cricket at the maidans in the city is completely free An hour at Funky Monkeys costs Rs 370 while Happy Planet charges Rs 200250 ldquoIt creates a class distinctionrdquo adds Kathpalia ldquoBut it is the government that has failed miserably at protecting our open spaces After all things evolve out of a need The government ought to be providing wellmaintained public open spaces which can be used by everyonerdquo ldquoOpen spaces are essential for the physical mental and psychological wellbeing of children The ratio of open spaces to people in Mumbai is absolutely deplorable as per by National Building Coderdquo adds Neera Punj convenor NGO Citispace Both Punj and Kathpalia have been fighting for the reservation of open spaces in the city for years The need for open spaces cannot be negotiated asserts Punj ldquoWhile these indoor recreation areas are climatecontrolled and pollutionfree nothing can replace the concept of being one with naturerdquo feels Kathpalia ldquoAn open environment encourages the use of imagination Playing ball or other outdoor games with friends or family is healthier for the child mdash it exhilarates the child makes him her sweat better and produces seratonins and endorphinsrdquo says psychiatrist Dr Yusuf Matcheswallau00a0As we watch Emma Wolf go down the slide at Funky Monkeys we wonder if this place can match a greener sunlit natural play zone u00a0