Christopher
By Dale Carruthers
And now youngsters don’t even need a backyard – or a tree – to play in the city’s largest indoor treehouse at the Stoney Creek Community Centre, which officially opened on Saturday.
Located on the main floor of the new 84,000-square-foot Sunningdale Road facility, the treehouse is a hit with kids and parents alike. “It has slides, climbers, blocks and balls – it’s very fun,” said nine-year-old Burhan Elshada, who was enjoying a PD day at the YMCA. “Kids would love to play here,” he added.
The 2,200-square-foot treehouse room, which cost $100,000 to build, features play equipment, interactive video games, giant foam building blocks and much more.And it’s not just youngsters who are enjoying the treehouse room. “Families can come, mom and dads can have a coffee read the paper, and kids can run around,” said Stoney Creek general manager Mike Ennis. “The reaction has been amazing.”
With padding everywhere, the equipment is safe for children. And unlike traditional treehouses, the YMCA’s is open during regular gym hours. “It’s a great place to go”, Ennis said. (It’s) basically your indoor playground instead of being outside.”