Smiley's Ocean Themed Adventure Park
4.3(1,114)4.3 out of 5 stars, 1114 reviews Indianapolis, IN
About Smiley's Ocean Themed Adventure Park
Smiley's Ocean Themed Adventure Park is a massive indoor playground primarily for children under 10, offering a wide variety of hands-on activities, sensory experiences, and dedicated play zones. It's praised for its ability to help kids release energy, its general cleanliness, and the unique sensory stations like the rice pit.
What parents should know
Summarized from real visitor reviews.
Best for: Children needing to 'release energy' through active play.Families with children of varying ages (under 10) due to dedicated play zones.Parents looking for specific sensory play opportunities for toddlers (e.g., rice pit).Weekday outings to avoid potential weekend crowds.Playdates for younger children.
Why families love it
- Massive indoor playground with diverse activities for children under 10.
- Variety of hands-on activities including ball pits, sponge pit, climbing, sliding, jumping, and building with Legos.
- Features unique sensory stations like a rice pit, appealing to even very young toddlers.
- Generally perceived as clean, with a reviewer calling it 'the best indoor playground we’ve experienced' in terms of cleanliness.
- Dedicated play areas exist for both older children and smaller kids.
- Friendly staff and ample seating for adults to observe.
Insider tips
- Visit on a Monday if you are a mom, as 'Moms are free on Mondays'.
- Consider visiting on a weekday afternoon for a less crowded experience, as it 'wasn’t too busy' on a Wednesday afternoon in October.
- Take advantage of 'sensory friendly time' offered 9-11am on the 1st and 3rd Saturday for children who benefit from a quieter environment.
- An hour is sufficient for kids to try most things, but they 'easily could have stayed longer' due to the variety.
Good to know before you go
- Visiting during peak times like 'weekends or during colder months' if you prefer a less busy atmosphere, as the experience 'would be totally different'.
- If you expect pristine, perfectly maintained equipment in all corners, as some minor issues like tape and dirt build-up were noted.
- Some maintenance issues reported: merry-go-rounds were not moving, tape present from rips, and dirt build-up noted at the end of ball pit slides.
- Can get significantly busier on weekends or during colder months, potentially altering the experience.
- Crowds
- Described as 'not too busy' on a Wednesday afternoon in October.
- Value
- An example cost was 'around $55' for three children (aged 4, 7, & 10) for one hour, not including food, drinks, or arcade games. 'Moms are free on Mondays' is a clear value proposition. The overall experience is largely seen as good value, especially given the range of activities.
- Food
- Has a cafe and food available, described as 'pretty good'.
- Accessibility
- Offers 'sensory friendly time 9-11am the 1st and 3rd Saturday' which is beneficial for children with specific sensory needs.
- Safety
- No explicit safety features like staff monitoring all areas, wristbands, or first aid were detailed. However, one review mentioned 'staff was friendly' which implies some level of supervision.
What parents say
"First time at Smiley! It was a cute spot for children to release energy. Had a variety of different hands-on activities for all ages, under 10 of course! The reasons for the four stars is the merry-go-rounds weren't moving, there was tape everywhere from rips, I'm assuming and dirt build up at the end of the ball pit slides. Besides this, my children enjoyed themselves, playing in the ball pit, sponge pit, climbing, sliding, jumping, building with legos, exploring and making friends. Moms are free on Mondays, so I lucked out today, but we will be returning!"
4 weeks ago
"I took three kids (4, 7 & 10) here on a Wednesday afternoon in October for an hour. It was around $55 before any food, drinks or arcade games. It wasn’t too busy and they had a chance to try pretty much everything, but we easily could have stayed longer. Everything seemed clean and I really enjoyed the sensory stations. Staff was friendly and there were plenty of spaces for adults to sit and watch, although I’m sure it’d be a totally different experience on the weekends or during colder months. Will likely go back with the younger one sometime down the road I’m sure."
6 months ago
"This place is very cool. I love the rice pit. It is good for even really young toddlers. Mom's are free on Mondays. They also have sensory friendly time 9-11am the 1st and 3rd Saturday. The food is pretty good too."
2 months ago
Reviews sourced from public Google data.
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