Massive New Indoor Play Space Complete Playground Opens in FiDi

Our list of Manhattan's best drop-in indoor play spaces keeps growing with the debut of Complete Playground in the Financial District.

The brand-new, sprawling play space is one of NYC's largest indoor playgrounds, where kids can run, swing, jump, climb, and twirl in a custom-designed, multi-floor obstacle maze. There’s also rock climbing, a gymnastics studio, interactive trampolines, age-appropriate play areas, and more.

Complete Playground describes itself as an inclusive play center, with activities, programming, and state-of-the-art spaces for neurodiverse and neurotypical kids. Get our need-to-know tips and full review of this enormous play space below, and find more fun places to play in our comprehensive NYC Kids' Guide to Indoor Play Spaces and Fun Zones.

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Complete Playground's Philosophy

The idea for Complete Playground was born when founder and owner Alex Reznik was frustrated by the lack of spaces offering programming and play areas for his neurodivergent son. He created Complete Playground, a nonprofit indoor play space, to be an inclusive family fun center, with open play, sensory-friendly spaces, programs, and therapies for all kids, including those with special needs. More than just an indoor play space, Complete Playground aims to be a welcoming hub of play, enrichment, and therapy for the entire community. Complete Playground plans to fold its profits back into the business and provide sliding-scale entry prices, free trips for school kids, scholarships for classes, and specialized training to staff.

Complete Playground is an inclusive family center, offering activities, programming, and state-of-the-art spaces for neurodiverse kids

Complete Playground's Indoor Playground

At the heart of the 40,000-square-foot Complete Playground is a multi-floor jungle gym and obstacle course that includes slides, swings, rings, balls, ladders, beams, nets, bridges, and tunnels. My son loved this maze. The jungle gym is great for a wide range of ages, from preschoolers to older kids, because there are so many things to do and different ways to engage in play. Toddlers have a safe, separate area with soft blocks and toys. The entire jungle gym is enclosed in netting to protect kids from falling.

There is really something for every kid. Surrounding the main jungle gym, kids can do the work of grownups in their own little city. They can pretend to fill gas in their cars, go grocery shopping, be a doctor or nurse, and even fly a plane. Kids can build in a Lego room or play in very cool holographic sand pits.

Kids can practice their acrobatic skills in the gymnastics area or jump around in the bouncy house. Kids can also play in the movement-based technology areas.

With so much to do, kids need at least a few hours to explore the entire playground. Several attendants monitor the play areas to ensure kids play safely.

Complete Playground's Programming

Complete Playground plans to offer an array of kids' programming including after-school classes, mommy-and-me classes, and classes in art and music, martial arts, gymnastics, yoga, and dance. Most classes will be held in the basement or its third-floor classrooms.

For neurodivergent kids, a sensory room offers a calming place to self-regulate. Called a Snoezelen, the room features minimal visual clutter, softer gathering places, a chair that uses low-frequency vibrations to induce relaxation, a tactile wall panel, a bubble tube, and special lighting. Families can also enroll in occupational, speech, and sensory therapy at Complete Playground.

Know Before You Go to Complete Playground

• Open play sessions cost $50 per child, ages 1-17, for up to two hours and include one adult. Additional spectators or infants pay $10 per person.
• Monthly memberships are available.
• Parents must fill out a waiver for each child.
• Complete Playground grip socks are required and cost $3.50 per pair. No shoes are allowed in the play areas.
• Lockers and coat racks are available to stash shoes, coats, and large bags.
• There's plenty of seating all around the play areas for parents.
• Birthday parties are offered at Complete Playground. Customize the birthday by choosing the theme, food, and decorations.
• A cafe serves snacks, drinks, ice cream, and coffee. A ground-floor restaurant is planned to open in the next few months.
   

Photos by the author