As a mum of two active young girls, I’m blessed to live in Singapore with its clean, green outdoor parks and playgrounds. These offer my daughters the space to play and burn their energy. But like many other Singaporean parents, I’m left with limited options during rainy season, or when it’s just way too hot to be outside. That leaves me, and my energetic girls, with indoor playgrounds as our only solution.
Honestly, most of these places offer the same things: slides and ball pits. And during a prolonged wet or hot spell (or even when we’re hit by the haze) my girls get rather bored with yet another ball pit. We’re often confined to our home then, with my daughters bent over digital devices.
So when we were invited on a media trip to SuperPark Finland, I was very excited and also intrigued. Would it be just another regular indoor playground? Would it be able to stimulate my tech-generation kids and get them moving? Mums and dads, I can assure you, it was so much more than I ever imagined or expected!
There are 4 key factors that make this family activity park unique, and set it apart from your regular indoor playground:
1. Tech-integrated play
SuperPark has cleverly incorporated technology into play to encourage the mobile gaming generation of today stay fit and healthy, while acknowledging their love of electronics.
On the surface we see a lot of play and physical movement, but technology drives this park, especially the game arena.
Sample this. Superball is a simple game where members team up, throw balls at a digital screen, while being under the pressure of a timer on the other end. The team with the highest score wins.
There’s simplicity, movement, speed, a sense of urgency, and a timer, all leading to a thrilling experience.
Another activity involves jumping on the trampoline to navigate the various levels of a game on a digital screen. Even a simple rock climbing wall has integrated digital aspects to make it more challenging!
2. Old school games with a digital twist
I was delighted to discover many traditional games that we normally play outdoors – like soccer and basketball – under SuperPark’s vast roof. But here’s the pull-factor for the kids: each one of these “old-fashioned” games has been given a digital revamp! The games are timed and mostly require you to hit targets and beat records.
For instance, the digital basketball game had us dunking a ball in each basket before the timer ran out. We had great fun challenging each other to beat our scores, feeling like kids all over again!
A super-cool and super high-tech game of ice hockey definitely had us working up a sweat. But it also left us rather amazed at how the speed of our shots were measured by radar and displayed on digital systems!
It’s pure genius, we say, and a clever way to get all of us moving — parents and kids alike.
It also means that there is “full-bodied” learning. This means that both the body and the mind are being worked out at the same time, so they work in synergy better.
3. Stress-free learning or Sparking
Coming to SuperPark is without a doubt a stress-free, educational experience, cleverly incorporated through play!
At SuperPark, a simple Math addition or multiplication problem for example, can be made much more exciting, by encouraging your little one to grab the correct number block from a foam pit. Any learning that is associated with a fun experience generally helps kids retain that knowledge better.
In fact, “Sparking” is a way of life at SuperPark. Sparking is a combination of:
- Stress-free learning
- Freedom and creativity
- Social interaction
- Inspiring environment
- Physical fitness and health
- Fun
Sparking, by the way, has been found to offer physical and cognitive benefits for people of all ages.
Which is why, Physical Education teacher, Mrs Heidi Rautajoki, brought her Grade 9 students for a PE session outside school while we were there. The kids had a blast practising gymnastics, jumping on trampolines and diving into foam pits.
Physical Education teacher, Mrs Heidi Rautajoki, and her students, having their PE session outside school
Heidi later told us, “Having a bouncy floor/mattress to jump on gives you the flexibility to try new things, which you may not otherwise be able to do, at say a school gym. Giving new experiences to the students is always good.”
For me as a mum, one of the biggest pull factors of SuperPark was also that it offers a secure and supervised environment together with high quality equipment. So you don’t have to stress about your kids’ safety.
4. Hybrid model
I have never really seen a play area offering such varied experiences under one roof. Yep, there are over 20 activities across three themed zones: the adventure area (for smaller kids), game arena (for bigger kids and adults) and freestyle hall (for the thrill seekers).
As SuperPark Founder, Mr. Taneli Sutinen, told us, “There are indoor playgrounds, and trampoline parks and other kinds of single activity parks, but not this kind of hybrid model parks, where there are different kinds of activities for people of different age groups.”
“The concept is really unique even when you consider other countries.”
My usual experience with an indoor playground involves looking at my smartphone while occasionally taking pictures or videos of the kids to post on social media. At SuperPark, parents are encouraged to join in and be part of the immersive experience.
A great reason for adults to play is that it has the opposite effect on the body as stress. Apart from its positive impact on physical and mental health, play is also linked to an increase in productivity.
If that’s not enough to convince you, remember, our children are watching what we say and do all the time. They learn more from us than from anyone else. And this I realised, when I saw daddy Aleksi Halen, and his kids, 9-year-old Rossi and 6-year-old Senna.
Aleksi and kids at SuperPark Finland
Aleksi is almost 40, but that hasn’t stopped him from trying out new games and learning new skills. The family visits SuperPark regularly and we were pretty amazed by the stunts the little kids could do. They were so good at backflips and scootering!
In fact, Aleksi tells us that he was encouraged to learn how to backflip, by watching his son do it effortlessly on the SuperPark trampoline.
We never saw Aleksi saying “No” to his kids, as they attempted stunts beyond their age. The kids were inspired by seeing daddy lead an active lifestyle as well! This in turn inspired me to want to be more involved with my children’s playtime back home in Singapore.
Wait for it… SuperPark Singapore opens soon!
Now that you know what makes SuperPark stand super tall, bet you are excited as I am about SuperPark Singapore opening soon at Suntec City Mall. Mark the date:17 November 2018! Just in time for the school holidays too!
SuperPark Singapore will also see three new games making their debut – iWall parkour game, Superclimb, and Ninja Track!
Wondering how much it’s going to cost? Here are the ticket prices to SuperPark Singapore:
Weekday:
- All day: S$ 35
- Evening (1800 – 2100): S$ 22
Weekend
- All Day: S$ 48
- Morning (0900-1300): S$ 32
- Mid Day (1330 – 1730): S$ 40
- Evening (1800 – 2100): S$ 28
Mums and dads, get ready for some serious movement then. Remember, “The body is meant to move.”
Thank you, SuperPark, for bringing us to Finland to experience an immersive play adventure and for also reminding us that, you’re never too old to play (and learn)!