Going to the movies with your kids can be tricky. You are never quite sure if they’ll sit through the whole thing, if they’ll get antsy or if they’ll just generally be annoying to you and other moviegoers. Enter Shawnee B&B Theatre’s new screenPLAY. This recently renovated theater in western Shawnee now includes a kid-friendly theater. And let me tell you, it is worth every penny. First off, the theater features a huge enclosed climbing play area where kids crawl and scale up several different levels. At the top, there is a giant slide they can zoom down. At the base of the slide and directly in front of the screen is another play area designed for younger kids. Truly something for all ages!
Here’s how it works. You buy a ticket like normal either in person or online. There is a $2 upcharge for the screenPLAY! theater. Check out the full price list here.
After you break the good news to your kid that they get to go to a movie, you can arrive 30 minutes before the movie is scheduled to start to PLAY! The theater has a fun vibe when you walk in, complete with orange seats, brightly colored walls and a disco ball. While the kids are playing, parents can relax in the kid-friendly seats that are covered in material that makes it easy to wipe up spills but are still comfortable. There are fun videos playing on the screen and even a dance party section where the disco ball starts spinning. When it is time to sit down for the movie, the theater features a fun video saying how the seats are sad because no one is sitting in them. It sounds weird but it seems to work to get kids to sit down to get ready for the movie.
The screenPLAY! theater is designed for kids ages two to eight. And honestly, anyone who buys a ticket to that theater knows there are going to be kids, so you are less likely to get fellow moviegoers shooting you annoyed looks when your child announces loudly that they have to pee or want more popcorn. Oh, and the restrooms are close!
I took my 5-year-old daughter to see Peter Rabbit, and she had a blast. She went down the slide at least 20 times. She was ready for a little break by the time the movie started, and then she was tired that night because of all the climbing! Plus, the movie was really cute.
B&B’s Shawnee 18 features several more awesome theaters with recliners like the Grand Screen and the new MX4D that hits moviegoers with rain, wind, bubbles and all kinds of wild stuff. The B&B’s Lee’s Summit 16 also features a screenPLAY! theater for our readers on the east side of the metro.
Did I mention there’s a bar by the concession area? With alcohol?
