BUSINESS FEATURE
FunNPlay Indoor Playground Cy-Fair venue seeks to balance fun and safety F or Wendy Lee, a co-owner at Fun N Play Indoor Playground in Cy-Fair, coming to work every day means coming to a place where children show up with smiles and leave with a sense of satisfaction that only a day of physical play can provide. “It’s a very happy environment,” she said. “I just love coming in here.” The business was opened in December 2018 by Lee and her friend Momo Chen. According to Lee, the idea to open an indoor playground rst came from Chen, a mother of two who struggled to nd an indoor space that met the standards of safety and cleanliness she was looking for. Chen would eventually nd a winning playground concept on an overseas trip. After reaching out to the company that built that playground, she took some notes and came back to the U.S. with plans to start her own, Lee said. Equipment includes a three-story slide, a water trampoline and a ball pit with a game that allows chil- dren to toss balls at a projector screen to hit targets. Aside from the projector, Lee said the duo deliber- ately chose not to feature any electronic equipment. “We decided to go with a more manual route for what we put in here,” she said. “It’s safer—more toddler-friendly—and it allows the kids to be a little more physical and energetic while playing, instead of sitting in front of a screen.” The equipment was also chosen to cater to a younger age range, Lee said. Although all children are required to have parent supervision while playing at Fun N Indoor, the playground is designed to create an environment where parents of children as young as 2-3 can feel comfortable letting them play, she said. The business o ers a variety of snacks but does not have a kitchen on-site, Lee said. Because of this, she said children and parents are allowed free re-entry all day, a perk that allows them to go out for lunch and come back. Parents can also bring their own snacks, she said. More than one year since opening, safety and cleanliness remain the two most important priorities for the two owners, who make sure all equipment is cleaned at the end of each day. Lee said she enjoys both meeting new parents and interacting with new children from one day to the next. “Some customers who were pregnant when we rst opened are now bringing their 1-year-olds in to play, and I love that I’m able to be a part of their lives as they grow,” she said. “It’s not the type of business that you get in for the money, but it’s a business with a lot of heart.” BY SHAWN ARRAJJ
Wendy Lee, one of the owners of Fun N Play Indoor Playground, interacts with a child in the ball pit. Lee opened the playground on Grant Road in Cypress with her friendMomo Chen in 2018. (Photos by Shawn Arrajj/Community Impact Newspaper)
BRINGING THE PARTY Fun N Play Indoor Playground features a private party room that can be reserved for birthday or theme parties. Days when parties are booked are posted online, but the playground also remains open to other • Table settings for up to 10 children, goodie bag for each child, gift for birthday child, choice of two to three colors for decoration • Includes three hours of play and two hours of private party time DELUXE BIRTHDAY $550 guests. Packages include: BASIC BIRTHDAY $350 • Everything from basic package plus room for ve additional children, juice and snacks and choice of theme decorations, such as mermaid, zoo or dinosaur • Includes three hours of play and two hours of private party time
Momo Chen (left) and Wendy Lee founded Fun N Play Indoor Playground in December 2018.
Children swing on a rotating palm tree swing at the island-themed Fun N Play Indoor Playground.
Children at Fun N Play Indoor Playground slide down a three-story slippery slide.
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FunNPlay Indoor Playground 11712 Grant Road, Cypress 832-534-1280 www.funnplayday.com Hours: Mon.-Sun. 10 a.m.-7 p.m.
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COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER • COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM
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