Review: Cloudbound Is the Ultimate Playspace for Kids—And It's Oddly Relaxing for Parents Too

Designed for babies and kids up to six years old, it’s a sprawling, pastel-hued space that feels part café, part playground, part children’s daydream brought to life. There are slides, ball pits, treehouses and all kinds of soft-walled areas to explore, and yet the muted color palette makes it all very soothing to take in. (Though if things get overstimulating, the 18,000-square-foot facility has a wind-down room where families can take a breather.)

The first location opened in New Rochelle, New York, this January—one of several expected to open nationwide, with the next few popping up in Washington, DC, and Dallas. On a 20-degree weekend, my family escaped the chill for an afternoon indoors. Here’s why I’m seriously considering a membership, even if it’s a 45-minute drive away.

Cloudbound grounded the space’s design in early childhood development research, and it shows. Interactive bubble walls, cranks and block-building abound, and the play areas aren’t just stairs and slides; some are shaped like trees, castles and airplanes, sparking imaginative play and curiosity. Better yet, everything was well-padded—down to the cushy, almost springy flooring—so I didn’t worry when my, ahem very adventurous toddler took a tumble.

Every parent has a horror story of contracting a cold—or worse, stomach bug—after visiting a kids’ play area. It happens. So I appreciated seeing routine cleaning of the space while I was there. And there was a strange comfort in knowing the pastel color palette meant every stain would show, fast (though I did feel for the staff and how much work it must be to maintain that). Granted, I was there during its early days, but the staff was very attentive to ensuring things were well maintained.

Cloudbound features an entire café area, where I grabbed an iced latte and breakfast burrito as my kids trundled through the ball pit. (They later shared a plate of chicken nuggets, which were your standard grocery store-style fare—and also meant my kids absolutely devoured them.) The prices were pretty reasonable, too. The six nuggets cost $3 and the breakfast burrito $8, with most items falling between that range. They serve everything from kid staples, like yogurt parfaits, muffins, ham and cheese sandwiches and fruit-and-cheese cups to more grown-up offerings, like a bacon, egg and cheese croissant, turkey BLT and a full coffee bar, including matcha.

Two other great features that parents will appreciate? There’s a private nursing room and one area to enter and exit the play area, making it easy to relax with a fellow parent at a café table while keeping tabs on your kids.

So here’s the thing: Memberships start at $99 per month (each additional child is $15/month), though you can pay per visit at a drop-in rate of $35/child ($25/siblings) for 90 minutes of play. (You can pay $10/child for a 60-minute first-time visit, however.) That’s not cheap, though it is comparable to the prices I’ve been quoted at other play cafes.

We’ve all taken our kids to places where, half an hour in, a meltdown occurs or they’ve zoomed through every activity twice and are starting to stare at the walls. In this case, I actually struggled with getting them to leave when the 90 minutes were up. They felt like they had so much left to explore, because there are that many play areas to climb. (The massive ball pit alone ate up half an hour of my toddler’s play time.)

I’ve been to a few playspaces that offer similar rates and there was a lot less to do—or it was so crowded that you didn’t get to enjoy it as much. This felt like a solid splurge, and it was definitely worth the first-timer rate, particularly if you aren’t sure how your kids will respond to it.

While Cloudbound is advertised for ages 0-6 and there are different zones suitable for younger kids, I feel like walkers through kindergarteners will get the most fun out of this space (preschoolers especially). The company notes that 7- and 8-year-olds are allowed to play and assist younger siblings, though children 9 and up can only observe. This helps keep the play areas from getting too rowdy, I’m sure, though it’s worth noting for parents of kids with larger age gaps. (My 7-year-old daughter had a blast chasing around her 2-year-old brother, but I could see this being a challenge in a few years.)

If you’re looking for a fun break from your typical Saturday—or you want to celebrate a milestone—Cloudbound is worth a visit. The expansive play areas, games and café make it a great place for the preschool set to let their imaginations run wild, and it’s thoughtfully designed in a way that parents can actually let loose too.