Color me Impressed :: A Day Spent at the Crayola Experience Plano {+ Party Giveaway!}

When I was a kid, the coolest thing to ever happen was when Crayola came out with the 64 pack of crayons with a built in sharpener. So many colors, I was so excited to try every single one.  It was the (ahem) early 80s and the endless amount of creativity held inside that yellow and green box was mind-blowing to young minds. Almost forty years (ahem) later, my lucky kiddo got to experience the awe-inducing, real-life brick and mortar version of that crayon box magic when we visited the brand new Crayola Experience Plano, at Willow Bend Mall.

Crayola Experience held their grand opening on March 23rd and is now open 365 days a year. Yes, you heard me, every single day including those holidays where you need to get your kid out of the house and playing ASAP.

One of only 4 in the entire country, Crayola Experience Plano is the kind of place that allows both your child and their creativity to run completely free.

With 22 attractions under one roof, your bigger kid and your toddler will all find something to match their interests and spark their creativity, and honestly, it’s pretty dang fun for the parents too.

Dallas Moms Blog wrote a quick “What You Need To Know Before You Go” post immediately following the opening, but here are a few of my favorite experiences.

The Experiences

 

The “Be a Star” photo booth creates coloring pages complete with your child’s face. I have stashed a couple of these for restaurants, and my daughter gets such a kick out of coloring pictures of “herself” doing fun things like swimming with sharks. The wow factor doesn’t get any greater than picking a crayon to melt and create “Drip Art” or making your very own diamond ring out of a melted crayon at “Melt and Mold.”  I couldn’t help but geek out a bit at creating and naming my her very own personalized crayon (complete with a real label) at “Wrap it Up!” Bigger kids let their creativity make magic at the “You Design” virtual studio, complete with huge projection screens.  With both a big and toddler-sized indoor playscape, there’s also an option for kids to take an unstructured play break when needed.

I’m barely scratching the surface here because, with 22 attractions, it’s not even a question that you will be booking a return trip.

Birthday Parties

If your child has a birthday coming up, especially one during the unbearable heat of the summer months, I can’t think of a better place for a birthday party.

Crayola Experience Plano offers many party options, including one where pizza is provided, and to me, one of the biggest perks is a private, secured room for gifts and cake. With such a huge wonderland for kids to roam, it’s so important to have that home base for bringing everyone together for some candles and singing.

Crayola Experience Plano also offers group discounts for groups of 15 or more and would be a great outing when hosting family reunions this summer, or even a large play date with friends or neighbors.  Their staff is amazing and can help you plan whatever event you have in mind.

Families spend an average of 3-4 hours here, which as moms we know (coupled with Café Crayola and plenty of seating and benches for parents) is solid gold. I personally had to delicately drag my 2-year-old out for a long-overdue nap, but I’m certain she would have played all day. And those 64 packs of crayons with the sharpener?  Yeah, as amazing as those were, the Crayola Experience Plano definitely ups the ante in the world of coloring outside the lines for our kids, but at least we get to go along for the ride.

Win a Birthday Party at Crayola!