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.

Happy Feet Planet Apex NC Indoor Playground Review

Happy Feet Planet is an indoor playground in Apex, North Carolina that is super fun! Malcolm (20 months) and I have been a few times, and we’ve also brought along my adopted siblings ages 6 and 7. Happy Feet is perfect for their age. It’s got so many cool spaces to explore, especially for bigger kids. But there’s something for every age group here.

A toddler interacts with a colorful space-themed wall game at an indoor playground in the Triangle, surrounded by a sea of yellow and white balls

Malcolm LOVES the ball pit! It’s great for a a toddler as it’s quite shallow and wide (not deep like some ball pits) and it has a connected soft climbing structure and a slide. There’s also a machine along the wall that pushes air through a series of tubes. Kids can place one of the ball pit balls at the mouth of the tube and watch it magically fly up towards the ceiling! Malcolm could do that one activity for hours (and has!)

But the main attraction at Happy Feet Planet is their 3 story play structure. If you grew up in the 90’s, you might remember a place called Kidsports. I’m not sure if it was all over the US, or only in Florida, but the point is, that place was EPIC, and Happy Feet Planet really reminds me of it!

A spacious and modern indoor playground with a black and white checkered floor, featuring a multilevel play structure with slides and tunnels in a high-ceiling room.

Children and adults explore a multi-level play structure with colorful nets and tunnels, set against a black and white checkered floor, in a well-lit indoor playground.

Kids can climb rope structures, crawl through tunnels, wander through a mini mirror funhouse, and so much more. There are several slides which are hugely popular. One of these is quite steep so we haven’t given that one a try yet, but Malcolm and I have had a blast sliding down the more sloping pair of double slides.

One thing I appreciate about Happy Feet Planet is that it is large enough for parents to accompany their children inside the obstacle course play structure. While there are some areas off-limits to adults, including a couple of the slides, I was able to go everywhere Malcolm went, which is so important for a young child. I think he would have struggled with some of the elements were I not with him.

A young child lies playfully on soft, padded rollers within an obstacle course at an indoor playground near Raleigh, NC, enjoying a fun and safe play environment.

A toddler stands on a polka-dotted platform, reaching out to explore a vertical maze of light-up tubes, while a smiling adult assists another child in the background at an indoor play area in Raleigh, NC

A curious toddler walks through a narrow bridge inside a mesh-enclosed play structure, with a soft padded floor for safety, at an indoor playground

But boy, am I outta shape! Be prepared to crawl, cling, and balance your way through this maze of ropes and foam. It’s definitely fun but you may work up a bit of sweat!

Another fun thing to do for toddlers here is to ride in their collection to cars and Cozy Coupes. They have a few of these and a decent space to ride them around on the ground floor.

There are some other activities at Happy Feet that we didn’t get to try out, because of time and age. For instance, there is a section where kids can shoot foam balls from raised platforms into an open space. This looks like a blast for older kids, and I even saw some parents playing as well!

Overall Impressions by Mom

The website of Happy Feet Planet recommends this indoor play space for kids 6 months-12 years of age. While I think there may be very little to do for a child under 1 year/18 months, there’s definitely plenty to do for toddlers and young kids. However, I think this indoor playground is most ideal for kids 5-10.

Dual plastic slides in gray and yellow await eager children for a fun ride down in a spacious, brightly lit indoor play area.

I love how clean and inviting this space is. It really is spotless and everything feels safe and well-maintained. The large size of the play area is a plus, as this allows for more kids to play at one time. However, it is not as relaxing for a toddler parent like me, as I want to have my eye on my child constantly. This is not a space where a parent can sit back and see everything easily. (This might not be an issue if you’re a parent of older kids, though!)

Unfortunately, each time I’ve been here it has gotten quite crowded fairly quickly. It’s not downright chaos, but there are lots of kids and parents here on a weekend or holiday. To avoid the largest crowds, I recommend going as early as possible on a weekday.

Side note: I think the crowds may just be a fact of life here for families in the Triangle. This is a rapidly growing area that offers so much to do for kids and families, so it’s no surprise these awesome play spaces fill up so quickly. 🙂

Happy Feet Planet offers birthday parties, both public and private, and while I can’t speak to these from personal experience, they seem to offer a lot! I have noticed the best parking spaces out front are reserved for “The Birthday Kid” – a very special touch!

A delighted toddler sits among a sea of yellow and white balls in the ball pit at Happy Feet Planet, with the play center's cheerful signage in the background.

All in all, a super fun place worth visiting with kids in Apex, North Carolina!

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