Venue name: Unpluggits Playstudio
Kid Reviewer: Sam Roldán, 10 years old
What made the experience stand out?
What made the experience stand out? I had been to Unpluggits before but this was the first time I was able to play with both of my brothers there. Our baby, Gabriel, is old enough to play now that he’s 2. My brother, Isaac, is 5, so all of a sudden, we can do new things together like air hockey because he can follow instructions. It’s not very often I go somewhere that all three of us can play games or do art together.
What was the best part?
I painted a piggy bank at Unpluggits when I was little and I wasn’t sure they would have anything interesting for older kids. There are Pokémon figures you can make, though. I was glad it wasn’t just for little kids because sometimes we go places that are just for my younger brothers, which is okay since patience is a virtue, but I was happy to have a good time too.
What was the worst part?
I wanted to paint a figure but I have to take some money back to do that.
Will other kids like this venue and why?
Kids will like this venue because they can do what they want to do without worrying so much about the mess. We don’t get out as many paints or glitter or art supplies at our house since we’d have to worry about staining the floor or leaving a mess that would make my Mom feel upset. I know I make her life harder when I try to do crafts at home and my projects take some turns I don’t expect, like splatters and spills or this one time I left out permanent markers and my brother drew on our fancy chairs. That was the day I learned stain remover doesn’t always work. Unpluggits has art supplies that we don’t have at home and you’re allowed to use them. When you get tired of making art, there’s a playground, a sandbox, an air hockey table and some toys you can use instead. You can do more than one thing while you’re there.
Would this venue be enjoyed by your siblings? Why or why not?
Yes, they had a great time because they were busy and no one made us sit still or use a mop after.
If you could do this again knowing what you know now, what would you do differently?
I would take my allowance to be able to paint more figures and leave more time in my schedule to be there longer. Isaac learned how to use a pulley and what that is while we were on the playground so I’d get a book at the library about how those work or YouTube it first because I couldn’t explain how exactly.
Does what you saw match up with anything you're learning in school or have seen before in a book, on TV, etc.?
My art teacher, Mrs. Crabaugh, let us make some ceramic figures in school this year and I noticed there’s an area where you can make and paint those too. I love art and my family sees a lot of it at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art and in books. I want to be a geologist when I grow up but I need art with color to make me happy so I would like to study both of those in college.
What do you think you'll remember most about Unpluggits?
Playing with my brothers is what I’ll remember most, especially because none of us thought much about cleaning up. Art shouldn’t be stressful. You should just play and paint and not worry.
[Editor's Note: Read all our Kid Reviews at www.metrofamilymagazine.com/Kid-Reviews/]