Edison's Entertainment Complex, Edwardsville

Location: 2477 S. State Route 157, Edwardsville, IL 62025

Website: https://edisonsfun.com/

From the website: "Edison’s features 12 lanes of boutique bowling, a 4,000 sq. ft. laser tag arena newly re-themed and with a second level added in August 2017, a 65+ game state-of-the-art arcade, 10 party and event spaces, and a full-service bar and restaurant serving inventive pizzas, gourmet burgers, large variety of street tacos, delicious bone-in and boneless wings with homemade sauces, scrumptious salads, and much more."  The hours are 11am to 9pm on Sunday, 11am - 10pm Monday through Wednesday, 11am - 11pm on Thursday, 11am - 1am on Friday, and 10am to 1am on Saturday.

Bowling is expensive here, at $8 to $10 per hour depending on if it's peak time or off peak time. Laser tag is $6 to $7 per game and you can buy game cards for the arcade for different dollar amounts. I didn't eat here so I can't speak to the quality of the food but they have lots of options. I love that they serve alcohol and mixed drinks.

They have lots of events and specials including kids eat free on Wednesday nights, taco Tuesdays, holiday events, bingo night, and little inventor's club. They opened in 2013 and just renovated the laser tag arena in 2018.

I like the lounge area at the bowling alley.

Laser Tag

Prize center

Abernathy Park, Bel-Ridge

Location: 3310 N. Hanley Rd., Bel-Ridge, MO 63121

Website: http://www.bel-ridge.us/departments/parks_and_recreation.php

Playground Ground Cover: Grass

This little playground is rather plain. But it is completely enclosed with a fence so that's a nice feature. There is a small covered pavilion but no restrooms.

There is one play structure and it has slides, a speaker, a maze, a steering wheel, a small tunnel, and various bars and poles. 

Småland at IKEA, St. Louis City

Location: 1 Ikea Way, St. Louis, MO 63110

Website: https://www.ikea.com/us/en/


Småland is a free forest-themed play area at IKEA. While your kids are playing, you can enjoy your shopping experience knowing your children will be safe and cared for. When you arrive you fill out a form and check your kids in. They have to be between 37 and 54 inches tall and potty trained. They will give you a beeper and write down what time you need to get the kids by (you get 60 mins). 

There are many toys to play with including blocks, magnatiles, dominoes, musical toys, trains, and cars and trucks. There is also a ball pit, a kitchen, and a slide. There is an upper area where they show movies. They always have crayons and a craft going on as well.  It's an excellent service that IKEA provides! They do limit the room to a certain number of kids so if it's a weekend or holiday you may have to wait. The food at IKEA is wonderful and inexpensive so you could easily spend a few hours here playing, shopping, and eating.

Botanical Heights Playground, St. Louis City

Location: Corner of Blaine and Thurman Aves., St. Louis, MO 63110

Website: http://www.botanicalheights.org/?p=67

Playground Ground Cover: Wood Chips

This playground is in the Botanical Heights Neighborhood just a few blocks north of the Botanical Garden. The playground was created in 2011 with help from KaBoom! out of a vacant lot. I never knew about this cute little playground because it's not an "official" city playground. I'm so thankful to a reader for cluing me in!

This playground is entirely fenced in with several unique features, including a puppet theater, a scavenger hunt, and a train! There is no signage but it's easy to spot and there is a lot of parking on the streets around the park. Unfortunately there's no restroom, but that's the only bad thing about this park!

Small covered pavilion with 2 picnic tables. 

The playground has a play structure that includes some stepping stones, a rock wall, a slide, a scavenger hunt, and various bars and poles. It also has a train with a slide, some painted tires, swings, a puppet theater, and funnel ball toss poles.

Such a cute puppet theatre! Not sure how it works if that door comes off or if it's broken right now, but what a cute idea for a park.

It looks like the back of the puppet theatre has been turned into a Free Little Library. 

Concrete spot for chalking, hop scotch, and other games. 

Funnel ball toss poles. 

1 adaptive swing, one baby swing, and 2 sling swings. 

Very cute scavenger hunt! This is unique, I've never seen this anywhere else. 

Such a cute train to play on!

Entrance into the fenced in playground. 

Overhead view of the park, circled in red.