Cartoon Headquarters Inflatable Fun Zone at Meadowbrook Mall has grown since opening about a year ago. Having added new inflatable offerings and games – as well as the new Teddy Mountain Workshop – Fun Zone is opening its doors Thursday and Friday to school-age children.

 

For $10, elementary and middle school age children will receive a wristband and have unlimited access to the Fun Zone, including six new inflatable and carnival-style games housed in the Fun Zone space beside the former Sears store, as well as a 42-foot giant obstacle course that will be set up in Sears court.

 

“We’ll also have special visits with characters and interactive games with them, as well as free pizza, popcorn and snow cones to everyone who comes,” said owner, James Vanscoy. Sack lunches are welcome also. 

 

For an additional $5, kids can make and take home a craft of their choice.

 

The Fun Zone will be open regular mall hours, 10 a.m. through 9 p.m.

 

Vanscoy said with the planned teacher walk-out Thursday and Friday, he is bringing in extra staff to accommodate kids who may come hang out at the Fun Zone.

 

When opening several months ago, he said he was limited on what inflatables and games could be featured.

 

“There were only certain ones that fit. We had to order things that would fit in that space and it took some time for them to come in,” Vanscoy said.

 

 But perhaps the biggest change to Fun Zone has been the arrival of the Teddy Mountain Workshop where kids can choose from over 40 different animals to build, stuff and customize.

 

“We started about four weeks ago and it is actually doing really well,” Vanscoy said. “It’s something that wasn’t around here. You had to go on at two-hour drive to get to Pittsburgh or nearly two hours to Charleston.”

 

Currently, huskies and timber wolves are being chosen by boys and the bunny rabbit and purple unicorn are quite popular with the girls, he said.

 

“You pick out an animal and we have a big machine that stuffs it, then you pick out a heart that makes it comes to life and you get a birth or adoption certificate and a backpack to take it home with you,” Vanscoy said.

 

Add-ons include voice box, heartbeat and scents. Teddy Mountain Workshop starts at $14.99.

 

In addition to in-house games and services during mall hours, Fun Zone hosts lock-ins and holiday  parties. Stay up to date at the Cartoon Headquarters Inflatable Fun Zone Facebook page.