Editor-in-Chief at Raleigh Family Adventure

Amy Hartle is the enthusiastic force behind Raleigh Family Adventure as its Editor-in-Chief and founder. She resides in the North Carolina Triangle area with her husband and their adventurous toddler. Amy has worked as a content creator since 2012, specializing in travel and lifestyle. On this site, Amy marries her expertise with her passion to bring Raleigh parents the best in local family fun.

HyperKidz! Review – Durham NC Indoor Playground

We had the chance to visit the brand-new HyperKidz in Durham before its official opening, and I knew right away: this place is going to be a hit with Triangle families.

Located just off NC-54, HyperKidz Durham is a massive 13,000-square-foot indoor play space designed for kids from babies up through age 13. It’s colorful, high-energy, and packed with things to climb, slide down, crawl through, bounce on, and explore.

The layout is thoughtful and well-zoned, with separate areas for babies, toddlers, and older kids, which helps make the space feel welcoming and safe for a wide range of ages.

Check out the video of our visit to HyperKidz here!

I love the theme: it’s an ice palace-inspired world with the prettiest palette of pastel colors throughout. I found it to be very magical and oh-so-cute, and the other visitors I encountered felt similarly!

So if you like a play place with a strong visual aesthetic, you’ll love it here!

The Play Zones

As I mentioned above, there are three distinct zones for kids to play. The Big Kid zone is right at the entrance, with its iconic multi-colored, 4-lane slide one of the first things you see. I can’t report on riding this slide, because my 3-year-old is not yet a fan of big slides. As for me, I’m 7 months pregnant, so sliding was out!

Watching other kiddos go down the slide though, it looks fast and fun!

The Big Kid zone is very large, with multiple levels of climbing, sliding, and obstacles. There is a large ball pit in front as well.

Ultimately, this is a true zone for bigger kids, with elements that will challenge and excite them. But there were some things in here even my 3-year-old could do, particularly on the ground floor level.

Here are some views from up inside the Big Kid structure:

My son Malcolm’s favorite area seemed to be a tie between the Mini Zone (ages 0-2) and the Kid Zone (ages 2-7).

The Mini Zone is all padded and soft, which I am very happy with! Even bigger kids need that cushioning sometimes! Here, kids can climb, jump, and slide to their heart’s content.

In one corner is a small trampoline that is surrounded by padding (again-,yay!) There are also two sit and spin type elements, which my son could not get enough of.

I liked how this Mini Zone, though not fully gated, was mostly enclosed with just a single entrance/exit. Very easy for keeping track of the littles.

Right next to the Mini Zone is the Kid Zone, which was great for Malcolm. There were things he enjoyed and things he was a little too nervous to try, so there will be lots for him to grow into here on subsequent visits.

The rotating carousel in this area is a standout attraction. It is just so whimsical! Everything here is quite cushioned as well.

There are some blocks and a magnetic wall that kids can get creative with here, as well as a light up wall with various colored bars to place in the wall. These interactive features are great and Malcolm spent a lot of time exploring them.

Behind this is the ball pit and slide section of the Kid Zone. These were some steep and fast slides! Malcolm didn’t try them out, but my husband sure did (this probably isn’t really allowed lol) and it was hilarious to see how fast he flew down!!

Malcolm may not be ready for big slides, but ball pits are his jam. He spent plenty of time rolling around in here having a ball (pun intended!)

Mom’s Opinion

There’s no doubt that HyperKidz is super fun and kids will love it, but will parents? My answer is Yes!

First of all, the playground was incredibly clean. I know we visited before the grand opening, but even then, the staff was cleaning constantly. It was reassuring to see! The team tells me they are very dedicated to maintaining these pristine conditions, so if that’s the case, this will be one of the cleanest play places in town!

Second, there was so much seating available throughout the entirety of HyperKidz. As a currently pregnant Mom, I needed to sit down a lot while I supervised my kiddo, and I was able to do that with ease. There was padded seating surrounding nearly the perimeter of the play space, plus plenty in the front of the building as well.

Another pro: solid, well-equipped bathrooms. Not only are there ample restrooms, they were outfitted with the things we parents of littles need: a changing table, step stools for kids at the sink, and even a child-sized toilet! Perfect for the potty-training members of your family!

Nearby is a water bottle refill station, too, so it’s easy to stay hydrated while you play.

Since HyperKidz is brand new, we haven’t attended any birthday parties here yet, but I think they will be terrific! The party rooms are painted with the sweetest wall murals, and the rooms are right next to the Mini Zone at the back of the facility. This means they are private but close to all the action.

There’s also a cool interactive dance floor and big screen just outside these rooms, so I think kids can enjoy lots of unique features for their parties. Party pricing seems to be on par with other local spaces in the Triangle (which is to say, it isn’t cheap!) but they do have several packages to choose from.

Speaking of pricing, I think HyperKidz admission fees are quite fair, especially given that play time is unlimited. I also really appreciate that it is cheaper to visit during the week. Weekends can get so crazy at indoor play spaces, so offering lower prices during the week is a nice incentive.

So, are you going to check out HyperKidz soon? Don’t forget your socks!