The Mall...an adventure???

I could have never imagined, before I had children, that a simple trip to the mall would be anything but simple, and nothing short of an adventure.  Yes, everyday activities are always an adventure with young children in tow.  Friday I was able to convince my friend, Hope, that a trip to the mall in Wilmington would be a great adventure.  So, with our, combined, 4 children under the age of 5 we set off on the one-hour excursion to Wilmington.  We left with no expectation of being able to stay longer than 30 mins.  As we arrived I began to tell her about these great indoor playgrounds that the malls near my parents have.  I discovered them a couple of years ago and thought it was the most genius idea ever.  The confusing part was that no one else seemed to be catching on.  We shrugged, and had the typical conversation about one day living in a metropolis large enough to have something like that.
See, the key to the playground (and of course a stop at the food court) is that you can turn, what is for a young child, a boring shopping trip into an actual adventure.  It helps them buy into the activity, which helps them behave.  To keep them excited there has to be something in it for them.
After long stints in 2 stores and walking half of the mall, the pretzels were gone, the babies were restless and the older children were about ready to run.  We turned a corner and there it was...

Wilmington has caught on!!  There was a small indoor play area.  I think the moms were just as thrilled as the children.  The big boys ran and jumped and climbed and even the babies had space to crawl.  It saved the day and made the adventure.  Hope and I let them play for about 45 mins.  They had a wonderful time and, when they were done, were ready for some "no touching stores."

In the end, we had a successful 4 hour shopping trip.  There were no melt-downs and no whining.  Everyone, except the moms, fell asleep on the drive home.  It was a success, so much so, we may even attempt again.  Though we are both quite certain it's the playground that makes all the difference.