At the entrance of the Peppa Pig World of Play in Grapevine sits a cheerful red bus driven by Miss Rabbit. She signals to children they are "going on a journey."

The bus is an appropriate way to enter Grapevine Mills' new attraction. The Peppa Pig World of Play is designed for preschool-age children and their families and encourages little ones to explore in a free-play environment. The attraction opens to the public Feb. 12.

"It’s lots of different types of play," said Ruth Irving, global brand director for Peppa Pig World of Play. "There’s physical play; there's roleplay; there’s sensory play, and we’ve tried to put in lots of different things that are all designed to help kids learn about the world and learn about their environments. That’s how kids learn. Kids learn through play."

After debarking the red bus, children are able to fully explore Peppa's world. They can climb into her treehouse, splash in mud puddles, play with ducks, take a slide in Peppa's little brother George's fort, fill up tricycles with fuel at Danny Dog's Garage and feel their way through a sensory garden. All of these scenes are brought to life through art unmistakably attached to the TV show "Peppa Pig."

"[Children] know the show; they know the episodes, and they’re all big fans," Irving said. "We’ve really tried to make all the details perfect, so when they come in their minds are blown. And they come in, and they can just go and play in this world that they love."

The attraction contains some unexpected surprises, as Peppa's house is deceptively larger on the inside than it is outside. Some hidden tunnels at Rebecca Rabbit's house take children to a surprise slide area.

A picnic area comes equipped with food and beverages available for purchase, with sandwiches ranging from $3-$6 and drinks such as coffee, tea and juices.

Operated by the Merlin entertainment company under a licensing agreement with eOne, Peppa Pig World of Play joins other Merlin attractions Sea Life Grapevine Aquarium and LegoLand Discovery Center at Grapevine Mills. This is the first Peppa Pig World of Play to open in the United States, with the only other World of Play operating in Shanghai, China.

"[Grapevine] is a great family area," Irving said. "It’s right in the heart of the U.S.; we have fans across the U.S., and we thought this was a really great place to start. ... We know that in this area families really love going out and spending time together, and this is a great mall."

The space at the mall comes ready for room to expand the attraction, Irving said, although extra features probably won't be ready for another 12-18 months.

"We have a few little tricks up our sleeve," she said.

Peppa Pig World of Play
3000 Grapevine Mills Parkway, Grapevine, located close to Entrance 3
972-724-4900
www.peppapigworldofplay.com
Hours: Mon.-Fri. 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Sat. 10 a.m.-8 p.m.
Sun. 11 a.m.-7 p.m.