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

Shaun the Sheep gets PG-spooky in new movie for the Halloween season

Photo courtesy of Aardman / Sky UK LTD / StudioCanal 2026

Shaun the Sheep in Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom.

Since his introduction over 30 years ago, the Aardman Animations character Shaun the Sheep has been almost as popular as the studio’s flagship characters, Wallace and Gromit. There is never a shortage of trouble Shaun can get into as he leads his flock and proves to be a thorn in the side of his farmer and Bitzer, the farmer’s loyal sheepdog.

His antics lead everyone down some slightly spooky roads in the new film, Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom. At first, things are only slightly awry as Shaun and the flock are growing a secret pumpkin patch to have their own jack-o-lanterns. But when the farmer accidentally destroys the pumpkin patch, Shaun tries to regrow it quickly with a Frankenstein-esque experiment.

However, disaster looms when Shaun uses an old bottle of Hair-Gro as the container for the serum he creates. Naturally, the balding farmer uses it on his head, and everyone soon discovers how truly successful it is, with pumpkins growing out of control and the farmer sprouting hair all over his body. Through a series of mishaps, the farmer becomes the titular beast, creating mayhem while Shaun and others try to stop him.

Directed by Steve Cox and Matthew Walker, and written by Mark Burton and Giles Pilbrow, the film goes down just as easy as every other Aardman project has. They get the Halloween vibes started from the opening credits, with things like the sheep doing the “Thriller” dance, and continue the fun throughout, referencing everything from Psycho to Friday the 13th in a nice, PG way.

With no script — every character is mute save for reaction noises — the movie relies on sight gags for its humor, and the Aardman team is endlessly inventive in that respect. Sometimes it’s small things like a sheep using toilet paper rolls as binoculars, and sometimes it’s something like forcing the Bigfoot-like farmer to be shaped into a rectangle as he escapes through a window. But there’s a never-ending stream of such moments, so even if one doesn’t tickle your funny bone, chances are the next one will.

The biggest benefit of the characters not talking is that there’s no need for deep character development. The filmmakers do a great job of giving the basic traits of each character, and then use those attributes to color everyone’s actions for the rest of the film. Shaun is the troublemaker, the farmer is a bumbling fool, Bitzer is preternaturally smart, and the town’s vet is empathetic, and the combination of those characters and others makes for a highly entertaining blend.

Like all Aardman creations, Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom is a fun lark that doesn’t make its audience think too hard. With just enough references to keep viewers engaged but not so many as to be overbearing, the film puts its well-worn characters to good use once again, delivering a Halloween season story that can be enjoyed by people of all ages.

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Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom is now playing in theaters.

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