Park City & Deer Valley

Physical & Intellectual Development a Focus of Indoor Play Land

A new family-friendly activity center is now open at Kimball Junction. Monkey Mountain has over 2,000 square feet of play area for children up to age 12 in the Silver Mountain Sports Club building on Ute Boulevard.

It is the creation of the Carter family. Chris Carter's career moves him around a lot, so his family has lately been living in a different country every six to nine months. Their only constant has been a second home in Park City where the family spends a few months each year.

That's why Sarah Carter felt inspired to start a business here; it was the most logical place to put down some roots. Right now motherhood is the most important thing in her life, she said, so naturally a business catering to the needs and development of children was at the forefront in her mind.

Her last three homes were in Canada, England and Russia. In the former two, she found indoor play structures for children to help them run and exercise year round something especially important during cold winter months.

In Russia, she found a culture committed to child development and lacking the commercialism that permeates products and services for kids in the U.S.

Investigating the schools in Park City, she discovered there were not many choices to keep children engaged after school.

That inspired her to build an indoor playland with an emphasis on structured and unstructured play.

Nothing gives her more joy at this point in her life than hearing the laughter of her children her youngest being five-year-old twins.

"We want to hear the noise. Kids can be as loud as they want here," she said.

Sarah Carter's own background is in figure skating, so she naturally cares about physical development and fitness.

Two playground-equipment companies were hired to create Monkey Mountain. One made the climbing structure that engages both upper and lower-body muscles. The other made jungle-themed carpet and plastic animals children can climb on and around. The idea is to inspire creativity in play with every available square foot while catering to children of all ages and ability levels.

There are two party rooms for hosting birthdays and special events. But Carter is also lining up partnerships with other businesses to provide structured activities like yoga for children, or maybe art classes.

Because Monkey Mountain is all indoors, it does not currently qualify as a childcare center. Her long-term goal, however, is to provide an environment where parents can drop children off for several hours at a time to take classes and play.

Some kind of themed activity will be provided every hour, so no matter how brief the visit, there will be structured and unstructured activity.

For right now, parents must attend with their children but a parents' lobby next to the play area overlooking the Basin is filled with desks, couches, flat-screen televisions and wireless Internet access so they can relax or work while the kids enjoy themselves.

Monkey Mountain

1526 Ute Blvd.

435-214-7451

www.monkeymountain.com

by Andrew Kirk OF THE RECORD STAFF : The Park Record

For More Information on Park City and Deer Valley Contact:
Michael Lapay
Prudential Utah Real Estate
Mobile: 435-640-5700
Toll Free: 888-410-7653

mlapay@pureparkcityrealestate.com