Badlands Playspace to Open in Rockville

From Badlands: Mikel and David Blair announce the opening of Badlands, a playspace rooted in the science and wonder of active play and mindfulness. The 30,000 square foot nature-inspired playspace, located at 5200 Randolph Road in Rockville, Maryland opens to the community on Tuesday, June 27 at 9am.

An expansive facility, Badlands emulates the great outdoors, featuring nature-inspired elements including a true-to-life climbable mountain with slides and crevices to explore, a thicket of birch trees where imagination takes flight, an open turf field with rolling hills and rotating nature exhibits such as live butterflies and hatching chrysalises.

“Nature not only calms us, but challenges us. We have created a space where children can take a moment to be mindful, and a space where they can push themselves to reach the pinnacle of the mountain,” said Mikel Blair, Founder & CEO of Badlands. “Like nature, Badlands offers diverse experiences for children in a safe place that adults will appreciate.”

Badlands is an ideal environment for open-ended exploration, creativity and hands-on learning, offering a broad spectrum of activities for children of all ages that enable children to determine and push their own boundaries. The Workshop and Builders’ Room are dedicated to real-life learning, challenging children to identify and solve problems as they tinker with real-life materials. Enrichment classes based in movement and play enable toddlers to learn to make sense of the world around them. Badlands’ emphasis on informal learning through unstructured, multi-age play enhances children’s communication, imagination, and social-emotional learning.

“The Badlands experience has been designed with whole child development in mind,” says Danny Haley, Program Director. “We empower children by teaching mindfulness and providing the opportunity for them to take risks, physically and creatively.”

Unique in its design and natural aesthetics, Badlands delights parents and children alike, going beyond entertainment and offering educational experiences for children and unexpectedly chic areas for parents. The café area offers wifi and a curated menu of locally-sourced food items, specialty coffees, beer, wine and signature cocktails, allowing caregivers to enjoy their time unwinding or socializing while children play.

The four whimsical Event Pavilions leave birthday parties and celebrations to the experts at Badlands, including a party host and instructor, a private age appropriate Workshop activity and the Badlands Signature “Candy Cart.” Additionally, Badlands features a screening room for educational programming and documentaries, complete with individual bean bag chairs for children to relax and take a break.

Introductory General Admission rates at Badlands are $22.50 per child three years and older, and $12.50 for children under three. Infants and adults are free with the price of admission. Individual and family monthly membership options are available for families of four, as well as group rates for large parties. Badlands will be open to the public from 9am to 6pm Tuesday through Sunday.

Badlands retained Street Sense for architectural and design services and Commercial Group for the playspace build out.

Images via BrandLinkDC