Everybody Arts

Fantasy Kingdom

Address: 1422 N. Kingsbury Street, Chicago

Hours: Monday - Friday: 9:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Admission: $12 per child; children under one year & adults are free

YAY!

• Offers hands-on learning? Yes
• Engages an active toddler in play? Yes
• Provides interaction with other children? Yes
• Allows children room to play without long waits? No
• Is clean? No

Too small. Too dark. I felt like I was in someone’s packed basement.

I was very disappointed in Fantasy Kingdom because the website really oversells it. Plus, it’s in a somewhat sketchy part of the city. I used to live there so I know it’s a place where you have to walk fast & keep up your guard.

The layout was cool in theory, but not so hotso in practice. The place is framed by custom-made playhouses (e.g., fire station, grocery store, castle), but the kids were all congregated in the in-between area playing with the playhouse items. In the end, you lost a lot of your space, and you had kids of all ages (newborns to 6 year olds) running all over each other.

I found I had to stay right on top of my son because the layout made it a little difficult to keep track of him. There is a gate to get in and out, but kids kept opening it themselves and there is a working garage ten paces from the front door so I was afraid he’d run right out into the garage.

I’m sure it looked amazing when it opened in 2004. But the toys and playhouses have not weather the wear and tear inflicted by kids. Perhaps it’s time to freshen things up!

They did have a musician playing, which was fun. And they have a gated crawler area; although the crawlers all seemed to be in the main area, leaving this section unused at the time of our visit.

We only stayed about an hour, and he didn’t really pitch a fit about having to leave. So I doubt we will be returning anytime soon.