Kiddie Crusoe will cost you money, but when the weather is rough, it can be worth it to still have a place to go play, and there is lots of fun to be had there.
Rain is a fact of life that, unfortunately, can make playground equipment slippery and unsafe. Some playgrounds don't even open when it's raining. On those days, it is nice to have an indoor play place to go to when you need to get out of the house. Kiddie Crusoe in Timonium is one such place.
The Details
- Name: Kiddie Crusoe
- Address: 7 Fox Tail Rd, Timonium, MD 21093
- Indoor or Outdoor: Indoor 12,000-square-foot play space
- Cost: $12.99 each kid ages 1-12 (adults and siblings under 1 are free); $5 for kids under 1 with no paid sibling
- Hours: 10 a.m.–2 p.m., Mon./Tues./Thurs. | 10 a.m.–4 p.m., Wed. | 10 a.m.–8 p.m., Fri./Sat/ | 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Sun.
- Area: Timonium, Baltimore County
For the Kids
Kiddie Crusoe is essentially three play places in one. The largest area, Kiddie City, is devoted mostly to imaginative play. Within this area, there are multiple play “buildings.”
- Doctors' office – With dolls, play medical tools, beds for the patients, and dress-up clothes.
- Schoolhouse – With two small school desks, a large chalkboard with lots of chalk, and educational posters.
- Construction area – With construction vests and hard hats, a marble run game, and a gear game.
- Oversized bricks – Think LEGOs that are as big as your head.
- Police – With police dress-up materials and a Mr. Potato head section (he's going undercover).
- Fire – This is a large firetruck to “drive” and plenty of fire helmets.
- Dentist – This one is easy to miss since it's behind the firetruck, but there are more toys and dress-up stuff here.
- Cafe – With 2 tables, a cash register, a stove and fridge combo, chef and waitstaff dress-up stuff, and lots of play food.
- Garage – this is just a backdrop, though they occasionally have a toy train here.
- Farm – This section features a garden to dig out the veggies and a farm stand to sell them at. There are also sheriff dress-up clothes and “horses” to ride on.
- Castle – The biggest draw in this “building” is the oversized checkerboard.
- Ticket booth and “stage” — the stage is another backdrop, and the ticket booth features an oversized doll head who needs her hair done.
In this space, there is also a tot lot, an enclosed play space for kids two and under. This area is fenced in, features many soft climbing levels and under-3 toys, and includes a mini ball pit just for the tots.
Image courtesy of Kiddie Crusoe
The next area is essentially a large playground. There are five large playground structures, and they are all connected to each other with bridges and monkey bars.
- Ladders, ropes, rock walls, and ramps to climb up
- 3 twisty slides
- 3 large regular slides
- 1 small regular slide
- 3 toddler swings (the type you can buy for home, not the type you'd find in a public park)
- 2 trapeze
- monkey bars
- a metal “zip line” along the length of the monkey bars
- multiple levels for climbing
- two tunnels (very high up) that connect the equipment
This section also features a large climbing wall, a floor projection game (kids can hop around and “pop” bubbles), and some assorted playthings on the floor space under the fixtures (like a puppet theater and a dollhouse).
The final section is the bounce house room. In this room, there are four large inflatables. All of the inflatables are full-sized, like you might find at a carnival or rent for a party.
- 14' slide that ends in a ball pit.
- A standard bounce house.
- A combination bounce house with slides and ball pit.
- A pirate ship that has a smaller slide inside it (this one is likely better for smaller kids who might be scared of the large slides)
Image courtesy of Kiddie Crusoe
For the Parents
Since this is indoor, the temperature is always comfortable. There are two bathrooms (one even has a kid-sized urinal) and two water fountains. There is always music playing (the radio), but it isn't too loud, and there are benches along the walls in every area. The rules are clearly posted, and there are staff available if you have questions. Gates separate the different sections from each other and from the lobby, for safety.
Also, there's an on-site cafe to keep everyone fed!
Other Considerations
The parking lot for the building is small (fewer than 10 spots), but there is free street parking as well. The cost to play here often will quickly add up, but they do offer a sort of “membership” option for multiple visits which cuts the cost a little.
Check out Kiddie Crusoe's website for more information!
Have you taken your kiddo to Kiddie Crusoe? What did you think? Which other playground should we review next? Tell us in the comments!