It’s finally here, and the children of Savannah could not be more excited!  Where do I begin?  This last Saturday I took my little one (the one with the orange hair – you can’t miss him) to the Grand Opening.  What a great location, right next to the Roundhouse Railroad.  Mix that with a few hours of playing dress up, building with giant legos, and running through mazes, and you’ve got yourself a quiet afternoon while they nap from a hard day of play.

We started off at the giant slides when first entering Exploration Station.  Parents, you can do the adult thing and take the stairs (they also offer a handicap accessible way to enter).  However, if you have a child like mine, they will insist that you enter by slide.  Why not?  It’s good to be a kid every now and then right?  Thought so. 

To your immediate right, which I think was my son’s favorite, a giant maze.  We had a blast weaving in and out of each pathway looking for a way out.  My son got distracted by the chalkboard (chalkboards were set up everywhere throughout Exploration Station) which was somewhere inside the maze. (pictured below).

Right next to the maze, you’ll find what I like to call – a child’s dream hide out.  What kid doesn’t like to play in, what looked like to me, a small fort?  There were 3 sections of “fort” throughout Exploration Station.  Next to the maze you have an area for dress-up and pretend.  In the next section, where we spent a vast majority of our time (and I think most parents with little boys did too) was stocked with large soft blocks, giant Legos, Lincoln Logs, Cars, Army Men, and the list goes on.    Lastly, a crafts and book area.  In this area you could become a Princess or Prince for a day by gluing and decorating your own crown.  Or you could pick from several books, donated by the Live Oak Public Libraries, and read in a little nook stocked with pillows and lanterns.  My son loved that little area, but then again our ritual is 2-3 books a night! (pictured below)

For the older kids (I include parents in that), there’s an entire section devoted to large board games, such as Chess, Connect-Four, Dominos, and a few more.  Parents, you can also enjoy the beautiful garden they have arranged called “Frog Town Garden”. (pictured below)

Even though Exploration Station is only Phase one, this is great way to keep your kids interactive throughout the summer months.  Admission will cost you $7.50 per person, and it was worth it for the fun my little guy had.  I’m even inclined to purchase a yearly membership pass ($65) to keep him active this summer.  As far as the age range in this phase, I would target it more between 1.5 years of age to around 10.  I did see quite a few older kids there (up into their teens), so it’s really up to you.  Remember this is only the first phase, so there’s a lot more to take place in the coming months and years. 

By Brittany Caudill