Bounce and Play opened last year on Steinway Street, just a few short blocks from our house. Seeking an air-conditioned oasis from last summer's heat, I started taking the kids there. I am a huge fan. A bit pricey ($13/ 2 hr session or $40/ five 2 hr sessions), it might not seem worth it. But the air-conditioned, fully-carpeted, kid-proof space has two very large inflatable slides (the ceiling is probably 20 ft), a bouncy castle, a toddler area, a small carousel, just to name some of its treats. It certainly keeps my little ones completely engaged and active for the full two hours. Which means an increased likelihood that they'll actually sleep!
My son approached the place with initial caution. Unlike his little sister who will climb anything she can get her tiny legs on and slide down any slide no matter the height, my son has always had a healthy amount of fear about trying new things. And as usually happens, once he got used to the idea of those huge inflatable slides, he started using them. First the medium sized one and then the super giant -almost too high for me to consider - slide. Again and again, he'd go down them. Then all of the sudden he stopped. His fear just randomly returned and he refused to go down the big slide on his own. Since I'm always there with both kids and can't leave his little sister on her own (or she'll climb up the giant slide on her own!), I can't go down with him. So for months, he just skipped the big slide, along with anything else above a certain height. Until today.
We went to Bounce and Play once again today to escape the heat. With practically the whole place to ourselves, we met up with my son's friend there, whom he met when he was just 6 months old at his baby playgroup. A little older than my son, his friend has always been a bit braver when it comes to heights and slides. Suddenly, my son was climbing up into a part of the play gym where he's literally never been before. He followed his friend up into a series of tunnels and mats. When his friend slid a curly tunnel slide down, he wasn't quite ready to join him. He stayed up there calling for his friend to come back up. His friend called out "To the rescue!" and climbed back up. The two boys came down together, climbing the mat stairs. Then the older boy was off to the big slide.
I watched, wondering what my son would do. He ran after his friend, climbed the rather ridiculously steep route to the top of the slide, waited for his friend to go, and then slid down while I cheered a bit too loudly. He's been there with many other friends who slid down the big slide, but has still avoided it until today. I guess there's just something about old friends.
I know there are a lot of big slides my son will have to go down in life. But with support from family and good friends, I think he'll take the plunge and enjoy the ride.