Julio Murga has two young kids with lots of energy. For years, the Portage Park father constantly found himself driving Isla, 5, and Ezra, 2, back and forth to all of the trampoline parks, inflatable rooms and play spaces in the city to keep them busy. But after all of that driving and the costly admission fees, he realized the kids would have a blast for 30 minutes, and then get bored.
That’s why Murga and his wife Jackie, along with her sister, Jennifer, and mother, Anna, opened Uppie Yuppy, a new kids playspace at Six Corners in Portage Park designed with one mission in mind: to keep the littles entertained for long periods of time with a slew of diverse activities.
“We realized that in our area, no one space offered a range of different things,” says Murga. “In our 5,000 square foot facility, kids will get to go from one activity to the next. When they are tired of something, they can find another activity and then go back to the original one again for more fun.”
Uppie Yuppy caters to kids ages 1 to 12. Toddlers will love a dedicated room with a ball pit, soft building blocks and a toy roller coaster – a fan favorite.
Older children can take their pick from a slew of activities in the main area, outfitted with a climbing wall, inflatables, hamster wheels, a trampoline, performance stage, pretend play area, multiple playhouses and more. Murga’s children personally tested all of the toys on the floor to make sure they “were awesome.” One of the most popular activities is the interactive projector, Murga says.
“Everyone loves that projector,” says Murga. “It’s loaded with more than 100 interactive games for kids of every age. They can play games against each other or their parents.”
Also in the space, a mini theater plays a rotation of Disney movies and cartoons.
Murga plans to cater to kiddos with special needs by implementing quiet hours and bringing in LED touch plays and other sensory-friendly toys. Also in Uppie Yuppy’s future plans are weekly storytimes and music classes.
“After the pandemic, kids needed to get out and do their thing,” Murga says. “My family all came together and put our hearts and souls into this space because it was so needed in the community.”
Located at 4835 W. Irving Park Road, Chicago, Uppie Yuppy sells day passes for $12.50 per child, with a $1 discount for each additional child. Parents or caregivers are free. The play space is open Sunday-Thursday 9 a.m.-8 p.m., and Friday-Saturday 9 a.m.-8 p.m.
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