Hatch: Open Play Area at Podium (Manila, Philippines)

 

 

We recently got to visit Hatch, a newly opened indoor open play area for kids at Podium Mall and here’s how our experience went!

What is Hatch?

Hatch is an indoor open play area for kids of all abilities. It opened just this May 2019 at Podium Mall. What’s unique is that the equipment available can be used for therapies by kids who have disabilities or different needs. Of course, that doesn’t stop other kids from enjoying this space too! 😉

We found out about the area through a friend and decided to try it out for half an hour. Luke (4 years old) was with his best friend who was the same age. We were also with Dylan (6 months) and our friend’s baby (1 year old)

Rates:

Some things to note about the rates:

• Babies are charged full rate, unless together with a sibling.
• You are charged as an adult companion once you wait inside the play area.

The first time we were there, I didn’t know they charged for an extra companion so I asked Dylan’s yaya to wait inside the room. We were charged an extra P100. Our friend also had her 1 year old baby try the toddler room for a few minutes but they ended up being charged a full rate as well. Hehe. Oops.

We went back a second time and decided to just wait outside while the 4 year olds had fun. Haha! 😀

Hatch Play Area

First impression: Luke would go crazy over this …and I was right!

The first time Luke entered, he stood in awe and wanted to immediately explore each swing, trampoline, slide and equipment! The play area is actually quite small compared to other indoor play areas. However, that didn’t seem to bother the kids at all.

And sometimes, a small play area can actually be a good thing.

My son, who loves doing what he calls “acrobats” happily tried everything. You can tell he was enjoying because that smile on the right photo is his real, genuine happy smile!

I stood at the side just watching the kids play. It was nice to have this time where they can have free, unstructured play.

Luke’s favorite was climbing up this wall. He was so proud to have reached the top and kept asking us to take his photo!

One thing that actually impressed me about the place is how they only limit it to just 10 kids at a time. The staff also mentioned that they clean the area after each session.

I asked them how they would be able to clean it if kids came continuously (eg. do they have 5 minute clean-up breaks before letting the next batch come in?) But the staff were a little unsure and said that as of now, they didn’t really have this problem since they just opened.

Being parents who are a little bit on the more OC side (hehe,) sanitation has always been a huge reason why we don’t frequent indoor play areas like Kidzoona, etc. So if Hatch can keep this up, I’d most definitely continue bringing Luke here!

Toddler Room

They had a toddler room with a small ball pit and a baby swing. We tried to get Dylan on it but he couldn’t do it yet. Hehe. Maybe it would be better suited for 1 year old babies.

It was Dylan’s first mall visit too so he might have been a little too overwhelmed. Haha! Sorry babe…

Overall:

Here are some of our personal thoughts on the place:

• I love that it’s an inclusive play area where all kids can enjoy.
• Luke said it was like a mini version of Pretty Huge Obstacles (another play area he loves!) which is a good thing.
• The activities that the kids can do with the equipment are fun and challenging, which is also great!
• I love the fact that they limit it to just 10 kids at a time and that they clean it after each session.
• It’s a little too pricey as an indoor play area especially with its size. Although, as a space where you can hold therapy sessions, I believe this is reasonable (correct me if I’m wrong, please!)
• Getting 30 minutes was enough for us. Luke wanted to extend a little but when we said we could just go back next time, he had no complaints.

I believe one of the great things about Hatch is how it caters to kids of all abilities. However, I cannot review it as thoroughly as I hope to because I do not have sufficient knowledge on the needs of kids with disabilities. I also have no experience in attending therapy sessions and I’m not familiar with how they are conducted.

Overall, our kids had a lot of fun, especially Luke! We already went back for a second time since we first dropped by and I’m pretty sure it won’t be the last!

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(NOTE: THIS POST IS ABOUT OUR EXPERIENCE LAST MAY 2019.)