It was a rainy day outside and I needed to find something to do to occupy my little munchkin.
He’s almost one and a half and only learned to walk a short while ago, so whatever he does it has to be baby proof. I received a coupon in my email for one free adult at Billy Beez in the Galleria Mall and decided to try it out.
When we walked in, we were greeted by Billy Beez’s manager, Ron Leonardi. He had a big smile on his face and seemed almost more excited to have us there than we were! Ron took a photo of my son and I together (a safety measure incase he were to get lost, so they could look for the photo and recognize who his mom was). He also took my phone number and put it into the computer. That way if he couldn’t find me, he could always call.
Leonardi then gave us matching wristbands with identical numbers on them and a card to get into Billy Beez. We were met at the sliding entrance way by a gate supervisor who checked to make sure our wristbands matched and then let us right in.
“The parents can feel safe knowing that he can’t get out because he can’t get through the gate,” said Leonardi. “And then also, because of the wristband, I can scan it up front and if he gets lost, I will know what the parent looks like because I took your picture.”
Once inside, we took off our shoes and placed them in a cubby and left the stroller aside nearby. Now, you must have socks on to play in Billy Beez, but if you happen to forget them, they do have them for sale.
What I noticed first about Billy Beez is how clean everything was. I didn’t feel nervous that my baby might catch something after playing. I mean I know germs are everywhere, but the cleanliness of Billy Beez put me at ease.
Now, what do we do first? The park is 20,000 square feet and filled with 16 slides built into a huge padded jungle gym, so there’s many activities to try. We decided to try out the artillery pit, which has a giant fountain in the middle with holes in the walls with nematic tubes that shoot balls up to the upper deck that also has 14 cannons to shoot balls.
Parents seemed to enjoy this part of Billy Beez the most, as they raced together to pick up as many balls as they could and fill them into the giant fountain. After the fountain was full, the balls would pop up in the air and the children would catch them. My baby really enjoyed this playtime as he giggled with excitement with all the other children. What I liked most about Billy Beez is almost every activity is padded. So the chances of your baby getting hurt while playing are pretty slim.
Next, we tried out the soccer field. A small area for kids and parents to kick around a soft soccer ball without getting hurt. This seemed to be the most fun for kids that were a little bit older, but what was nice was when the little kids showed up, the older kids played gentle and would hand the younger babies the ball.
After that we ventured off to the jungle gym mazes. Each maze leads you up to a slide. My baby loved the fact that I would climb through the tunnels with him and help him get up the padded stairs because the best part of Billy Beez is parent involvement. The kids love seeing their giant parents go through this obstacle course and run out of breath with them because this is what memories are truly made of.
“When you see the parents actually participating with the kids, and sliding down the slides, and screaming, those are family memories,” said Leonardi. “That’s the stuff the kids aren’t going to forget and I think that’s what the mission of Billy Beez is.”
After the jungle gym, we decided to try out the slides. They are pretty fast and I wasn’t expecting it, so I laughed just as hard as my baby. He loved every minute of the slide and his smile when we were were done went from ear to ear.
I could tell he was getting tuckered out, so I decided to take him for lunch. The cool thing about Billy Beez is that once you make a purchase to enter, the park is yours to play in all day whether you leave or not. We had our lunch, I took him home to take a nap, and then when he woke up, my husband decided to join us back at Billy Beez again.
The three of us had such a wonderful time. We loved playing in the arcade where my husband won more than 1,000 tickets and picked out a Minions basketball net for little guy. While we played the game, my baby took the tickets out of the slot for us. It was his favorite. And he loved pretending to play the games, too. All the lights and action was so exciting for him.
So, would I go to Billy Beez again?
In a heartbeat.
The price is very reasonable and the fun is undeniable. Infants are free (ages 0-12 months). Toddlers are $11.95 (ages 1 to 4 years). Children are $14.95 (ages 5 to 17 years). Seniors (65 and up) are free with a paid child or toddler. And the first adult is $6.95 and the second is $9.95 on weekends only.
And if you’re not in the mood to leave Billy Beez for lunch, they offer food right inside their Honey Cafe. They are also a great site for birthday parties, field trips, and more!
For more information on what Billy Beez has to offer, visit www.billybeezus.com or call 989-5012.
