Raves About Renovated Indoor Playground Now Using iPads

Recently, Guildford Town Centre in Surrey, BC replaced their indoor play area with iPad stations. The Interactive Play Park opened on September 20th, 2014. I first learned about this news when HuffingtonPost BC contact me to use one of my old photos of what the play area used to look like before the upgrade.

According to The Huffington Post, the area now consists of several iPad stations mounted on a colourful wall, along with a few activity wheels for toddlers.

BEFORE:
(Sorry about those lines. I took the photo with my cellphone and there was a glitch uploading.)

AFTER:


I don't know what they were thinking using iPads for indoor playground, but kids need more physical activity and stay active!  On rainy days, my little one enjoys going to indoor playgrounds where it's dry and it's free. Parents were told to limit screen time to younger children, right? So what's the difference here?  Leave iPads and tablets in the home. Please bring back those fun slides, climbing steps, and other fun figures that kids love to jump and climb on.

There is a Facebook Group that furious parents are petitioning to make a change: Guildford Town Center Play Area BRING IT BACK!!

Another note that somewhat bothers me I had to share: Every time I see parents giving their little ones (even as young as 1-year-olds) their iPads or iPhones while having their meals at the food courts or at the restaurants, I just roll my eyes. In my opinion, it's not ok because we all need to focus on what we're supposed to be doing together as a family (like eating together).  They can play afterwards. I do let my son use my iPhone or iPad sometimes, but only when we have long roadtrips or waiting at the doctor's office or waiting in a long line-up for something.