Wonderwild

[caption id="attachment_97917" align="aligncenter" width="700"] An inflatable alligator slide features three different shoots at Wonderwild[/caption]

Two moms who moved from opposite sides of the country to Houston kept waiting for someone to open a business like Wonderwild. One day, it dawned on them to do it themselves.

Deborah Helman and Kayla Cory, from New York and California, respectively, could not find the indoor play space for their children that they thought should exist. In 2009 the pair opened Wonderwild in the Heights. In August 2011, Cory and Helman looked north and opened their second location in The Village of Grogan’s Mill in The Woodlands.

“There are tons of places like [Wonderwild] in New York because there is no space to play outside,” Helman said. “We wanted a private place for kids to just hang out and play and have a variety of things to do.”

[caption id="attachment_97918" align="alignright" width="460"] Slides, a trampoline and a climbable playground are all indoors.[/caption]

The duo chose The Woodlands as home to their second location in an expansive 8,000-square-foot facility, which features a towering blowup alligator slide with three shoots and a climbable playground that includes another set of three slides as well as a separate trampoline.

There is also a separate area for crawling toddlers or for children who want to take a break from running and jumping, Helman said. Each piece of equipment was specifically chosen to encourage open play and for children to use their imagination.

“We wanted an open space so parents could watch their children from all areas and [provide] something for all ages,” she said. “A lot of play spaces are made for a specific age group, and for the mom who has four [children] of different ages, that can be hard.”

[caption id="attachment_97919" align="alignright" width="460"] Wonderwild has another Greater Houston-area location in the Heights.[/caption]

Wonderwild offers open play for children ages 8 and under during the week, and weekends are reserved for private parties. Wonderwild party coordinator Julia Johnson said parties can run for as long as the family wants and can be customized.

“You have a lot of freedom with things like the decorations and food,” she said. “There are not a lot of places like this [in the area]. Other places just offer blow up play pieces or other things, but we have a combination of stuff for all children.”

2230 Buckthorne Place, Ste. 100, The Woodlands 281-419-1044, www.gowonderwild.com Hours: Mon.-Fri. 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Sat.-Sun. private parties