Somewhere to go when it's minus twenty
Maple Play Arena is an indoor play centre in Westwinds, northeast Calgary. There's a three-level play structure for kids, about forty arcade cabinets that mostly date from the eighties and nineties, and enough seating that parents don't have to stand for two hours.
Dana and Rob opened it in 2018 after four winters of driving across the city looking for somewhere the kids could run. It is still just us and six part-time staff.
Play structure
Three levels, two tube slides, a ball pit that we empty and wash every Monday. Height limit 150 cm.
Toddler room
Separate, soft floor, gate at the door. For walkers up to about four. Quietest on weekday mornings.
Arcade
Around forty cabinets on free play with a wristband. No tokens, no prize tickets, nothing to chase.
Parent corner
Twelve seats, decent wifi, filter coffee that is honestly fine rather than good.
What it costs
A two-hour wristband is $16 for one child on weekdays and $21 on weekends. Adults come in free because adults are not the ones using the structure. Full list on the prices page, including the punch cards that work out cheaper if you come more than four times.
When to come
| When | What it's like |
|---|---|
| Wednesday to Friday, 10am–1pm | Quietest of the week. Mostly toddlers and a handful of homeschool groups. |
| Weekdays after 3pm | Busier, older kids, the arcade fills up first. |
| Saturday and Sunday, 11am–3pm | Our busiest stretch. Parties run in the back room; the main floor stays open. |
| Sunday evenings | Quiet again after about 5pm. Good if loud rooms are hard for your kid. |
We close Monday and Tuesday. That's when the structure gets cleaned properly and Rob fixes whatever broke over the weekend. Something always breaks over the weekend.
A few things people ask before they come
Do we need to book?
Not for general entry. Parties yes, at least three weeks ahead, and more like six for a Saturday in December.
Can we bring food?
Outside food is fine at the tables, not on the structure. We sell coffee, juice, and a small number of snacks, and we're honest that the snack selection is not the reason to come here.
Is it accessible?
The entrance and main floor are step-free and the washroom is wide. The upper levels of the play structure are not — they're reached by climbing, and there's no way around that.