Indoor play space encourages kids to stay active this winter – KCRG

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) — With a lot of students now on winter break, one eastern Iowa business is aiming to keep kids moving.

Bounce houses and workout equipment fill The Shell, an indoor play space located at 4655 Tower Terrace Road in Cedar Rapids. It only opened about two weeks ago, but owner Jed Eichhorn said he hopes to keep kids active and engaged this winter.

“We really wanted to create this space for parents and families to have an outlet in the wintertime and give them a chance to run around get some free time and burn off some energy,” Eichhorn said.

Joyce Willis, a pediatric nurse at St. Luke’s Hospital, said kids need at least one hour of exercise a day, even when home on break.

“And they don’t have to do it all in one hour, it could be 15 minutes, it could be 30 minutes in the afternoon,” Willis said.

Ashley Ferry is a mom of three boys and lives in Walford. She came out Monday to check out The Shell. She said she tries to keep her kids active outside, but that’s not always the best option.

“It’s the first day of break, they are tearing apart the house, we just needed to get out,” Ferry said.

Willis said kids should get a little sweaty while exercising in order for it to be adequate enough and toys like children’s workout toys can help.

“The pre-school fitness center has been a really big hit, we have a stepper and some weights and a little elliptical and a stationary bike,” Eichhorn said.

Ferry’s oldest son was most excited to use just that.

“He said he was going to do the workout equipment because he needs to get strong for baseball season coming up, he was kind of excited,” Ferry said.

Eichhorn said he hopes his business helps kids keep that kind of excitement for movement.

“We wanted to create a fun and engaging atmosphere where kids find enjoyment and a lifelong love of staying active,” Eichhorn said.

The Shell is open Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.