Playground News

Down to Play indoor playground for all kids opens in northeast Dallas

All kids are welcome at Down to Play.

Photo courtesy of Down to Play

There's a new indoor kids' playground in Lakewood: Called Down to Play, it's a locally-owned concept now open in the Medallion Center at 6464 E Northwest Hwy. #138, with a special focus on being a safe place for special needs kids.

The indoor playground is the first of its kind in the area with a focus on cleanliness, friendliness, and being a fun place for every kid. It spans 5,200 square feet, and includes dedicated toddler and baby areas ensuring safe and appropriate play for younger children.

A main playground offers climbing, sliding, and zip-lining. The toddler area features climbing and sliding elements, a ball pit, and a ball maze, while the baby area includes toys that encourage rocking, spinning, and exploration.

The concept was founded by husband-and-wife Joel and Kelsey Doolen, who created it with their own kids in mind.

“Our son, Jimmy, loves indoor playgrounds, and we were driving all over the metroplex every weekend to visit them," Kelsey says. "We realized that there was a huge need in the East Dallas area for an indoor playground, as there isn’t anything within a short radius of the Lakewood, Lake Highlands, and Park Cities areas."

The couple were also inspired to open Down to Play after their daughter, Kendall, was born in 2022 at only 26 weeks with Down Syndrome. They quickly learned about the developmental and physical challenges that can accompany being a preemie and/or having special needs.

Kelsey stresses that it's a place for all children, stating, "I do indeed have a special needs child, but that is not the main priority for this venue. We want it to be for every kid.”

Open play is available from 9 am - 7 pm at $20 per child. The indoor playground features a snack bar with light snacks and coffee; there's also high-speed Wi-Fi. A private room is available for rent with party packages starting at $375. When not in use for parties, this room will double as a therapy room.

“As a special needs mom, I know that doctors and therapy appointments can quickly take over your life, that is why our party room will double as an equipped therapy room when birthday parties aren’t taking place," Kelsey says. "We will welcome therapists to utilize this space, allowing siblings to have fun during therapy sessions.”

openings

Movie Review

The Magic Faraway Tree is a whimsical family lark that fails to take root

Photo courtesy of Vertical Entertainment

Andrew Garfield, Delilah Bennett-Cardy, Claire Foy, Phoenix Laroche, and Billie Gadson in The Magic Faraway Tree.

With kids and families always on the hunt for entertainment, it’s typically a safe bet for a movie studio to offer up something new, even if it is a film based on an old property. The Magic Faraway Tree, based on a series of books that started in the 1930s, is a very old property, one that its filmmakers have tried to liven up with a few stars, a lot of whimsy, and a boatload of CGI.

The Thompson family, led by stay-at-home dad Tim (Andrew Garfield) and breadwinner mom Polly (Claire Foy), are forced to move to a rundown country home when Polly gets laid off. The kids - Joe (Phoenix Laroche), Fran (Billie Gadson), and Beth (Delilah Bennett-Cardy) - are used to the perks of city life like wifi and electricity, and each of them rebels in their own way to their new lot in life.

Fran, enticed by a fairy named Silky (Nicola Coughlan), is the first to venture out of the house, making her way to a magic tree that transports her to a world full of strange characters like Moonface (Nonso Anozie), Saucepan Man (Dustin Demri-Burns), Dame Washalot (Jessica Gunning), and more. Her adventures there not only broaden the world she thought she knew, but may be the key to helping her ailing family.

Directed by Ben Gregor and written by Simon Farnaby (Paddington 2, Wonka), the film is a pleasant enough lark, but it fails to fully capture the imagination. The five-member family has a lot going on, from an initially-mute Fran to a domestic situation that raises more questions than it answers. The film tries to incorporate an anti-technology message through Tim’s hatred of a smart refrigerator (voiced by Judi Dench!) and the kids' addictions to devices, but it’s quickly shed in favor of other options.

Once Fran makes it to the Magic Faraway Tree, there’s a nice shift in the storytelling, but it’s unclear what the ultimate goal is. It’s a good idea to have Fran, the youngest of the children, convince her older, more cynical siblings about the virtues of the magic world, but the conflict in the real world doesn’t seem to rise to the level needed for the escape the tree provides.

There also seems to be a missing link in the storytelling for viewers to understand the importance of the fantastical characters. The visuals of seeing Moonface and his crescent moon-shaped hair, a man with a suit full of banging pots, and more are fun for a while, but not enough to carry the whole film. A last-minute revelation feels like it was something that should have been disclosed much earlier to help strengthen the emotions of the story.

A two-time Oscar nominee, Garfield is making his first foray into family movies (if you don’t count playing Spider-Man), and while he does a good job, he doesn’t make the best fit for the semi-goofy role. The same goes for the Emmy-winning Foy, who isn’t given much of anything to do. The movie puts the story on the shoulders of the three child actors, and while each of them acquit themselves well, none of them are so outstanding as to be noteworthy.

With nearly 90-year-old source material, The Magic Faraway Tree needed to be something truly special to stand out in the 21st century movie world. Unfortunately, it features a mostly forgettable story that features some fun visuals, a couple of cute kids, and not much else.

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The Magic Faraway Tree is now playing in theaters.

movies film