Discovering Yu Kids

One rainy day recently, I had a scheduled weekday off, a headache that wouldn’t quite go away and my two children, aged 3 and 1, to somehow entertain. I decided it was time to check out Yu Kids. 

Yu Kids is located at Unimo shopping centre in Chiharadai. The mall itself is about a 12 minute walk from Keisei Chiharadai station, though many people seem to visit it by car instead. Yu Kids is conveniently situated on the first floor of Unimo, near the Yaoko supermarket and across from Muji.

It is, quite simply, an indoor amusement area, full of colorful, moving attractions for children to climb in and/or on and run around. It doesn’t occupy a huge amount of space, but it is cleverly laid out so as to maximize what space it does have while still managing to look and feel quite spacious. A variety of things are available to do, including but not limited to roundabouts, a swaying jungle gym, a few things to jump on, and a ball pit. For kids seeking something quieter to do, there are corners with picture books, a drawing/colouring area (and collaborative display on which to display the work), and a selection of baby toys. 

The highlight for my pair - and, if I’m honest, me too - was the balloon lofts. Perched above the other attractions and accessible by a set of stairs, these two low-ceilinged “rooms” are full of balloons that bounce endlessly about care of the clever placement of some fans. One “room” has balloons that are simply large, while the other room contained balloons that can only be described as gigantic.

I won’t lie, adult me was quietly cringing at the sheer amount of plastic and electricity the place used, though I guess it would still be considerably less than the game centre upstairs uses. The aesthetic also didn’t really help my headache! Parental/guardian supervision is also required at all times, which could make it a bit tiresome as you are most likely to get tired of it before your minions do.

All in all, though, I found the place a pleasant surprise. It is designed to entertain children from infancy through to the first couple of years of elementary school, which is surprising in itself as many indoor play areas tend to focus squarely on preschoolers alone. The entry fee prices are reasonable as well, costing 500 yen per child for a thirty minute session and 700 yen for sixty minutes. Adults are free of charge. You have to guess how long you might stay at the beginning, which is a bit of a pain as going overtime incurs an additional 100 yen fee per 10 minutes, but it doesn’t seem especially unfair. All of the attractions therein are otherwise free of charge. There were even some signs with English translations, which was another pleasant surprise! 

Most importantly, though, it’s just plain fun. If you happen to be in the Chiba/Ichihara area with young kids to entertain and your own shopping to do, I highly recommend it.