Kids Activities Blog
Guides and ideas for family fun in London Ontario — indoor play, rainy days, parties, toddlers, and school breaks.
Birthday Party Food at Off The Wall Kids: Outside Food, Cakes, Allergies & GF/DF Options
You booked the party room. Pinterest has opinions. Grandma wants to bring her famous dip. Someone just typed "can we swing by with pizza?" into the group chat. Welcome to birthday party food at Off The Wall Kids in East London (539 First St, Argyle). We are an indoor playground — and yes, we are also a restaurant under our license. That is not a fun fact for a trivia night; it is why our food rules exist. We are even talking about updating our name to "Off The Wall Kids — Restaurant & Indoor Playground" so parents understand why the counter says no to "just a coffee." Here is the party-food Q&A we wish every host had before party day. "Why can't we bring outside food? It's ONE birthday." Food safety and allergies — for real, not as a buzzword. This policy was built with the Middlesex London Health Unit. Food served to people outside your own family at a party needs to come from an inspected kitchen. Picture a cake for 24 kids: everyone needs to trust where it was made. Here is the scene that keeps us up at night: a drink or snack left on a table. A child who is not yours grabs it. They are allergic to something in it. Nobody meant harm — but harm does not care about intentions. If anyone gets sick, the health unit needs to trace where food came from. If a child has allergies, we need to know what is in what they ate. Same rules for everyone protects every allergy in the building. "Okay but it's JUST my coffee." We hear this one a lot — and we get the eye roll. Coffee is not "just coffee" in a building full of littles. We have seen special creamers, we have seen worse. True story: a group of dads took our coffee cups out to the parking lot, filled them with alcohol, and tried to bring them back in. Staff caught it. That is why the rule is the rule. Our answer when parents are frustrated: we have a restaurant license. We are a restaurant. Outside food and drink (except what is listed below) cannot come in — not for drop-in, and party rules add another layer. "So my kid can't eat here because of allergies — isn't that YOUR problem?" Flip it: that is exactly why the rule exists. There are a lot of allergies out there. We keep one clear policy so every family's allergies are respected in a way that can be tracked and traced under our restaurant license. We do our best to accommodate — email concerns to info@offthewallkids.com — but we do not make one-off exceptions that break traceability for everyone else. "No exceptions?" No exceptions. Formula, water, and baby food are always OK. Anything else medical or unique? Contact us first: info@offthewallkids.com "Can we bring a CAKE though?" For a booked party room only — yes, if it is actually cake or cupcakes. Allowed: cakes and cupcakes from an inspected kitchen (bakery, grocery store, Dine Safe–style places the health unit inspects). Bring your receipt. Outside cake and cupcakes must stay in the party room while you party. After your party, they can go into our kitchen for safe keeping or out to your vehicle. Not allowed: cake pops, cinnamon buns, donuts, or "it is basically cake" items. If the health unit partnership says cake or cupcakes, we mean cake or cupcakes. Sorry, Facebook character-cake baker from someone's cousin — if it is not from an inspected kitchen, it cannot come in. We know that one stings. Candles, sparklers, and helium? Allowed. We sell balloons at the facility too. We already set the party room with plates, forks, spoons, knives, napkins, cups, and table covers — generic, so bring themed stuff if you want the full aesthetic. Drop-in visits: stricter on where outside cake can go. The health unit allows cake or cupcakes from an inspected kitchen in a confined space — our party room qualifies; the main eating area does not. So even for drop-in, cake or cupcakes need a receipt and stay in the party room during the party, same idea. "Where do we actually EAT?" Party food from our kitchen can be enjoyed in the party room or our eating area. Outside cake or cupcakes? Party room only. Full stop. Loot bags with candy or snacks? Outside food — so no handing those out inside. Give them to guests as they leave if there is food in the bag. Adults? Concession coffee and food — all from us. "What about pizza and platters from YOUR kitchen?" Most parties pre-order food. Your package food credit applies when the balance of your party is paid. Pizza is the crowd favourite. Platters are a close second. There is a party food price list — PDF linked from our birthday parties page: https://www.offthewallkids.ca/kids-birthday-parties-london-ontario Full concession menu for the vibe of what we serve: https://www.offthewallkids.ca/menu Request food when you book. Our party coordinator emails you the Monday before your party to confirm. Fruit trays and veggie trays need ordering by the Wednesday before — we bring supplies in just for parties that book them. Everything else can usually be added or removed right up until cooking time (except those pre-ordered tray items). Staff verify your food before you arrive and confirm again at the start of party time before anything hits the oven. Tanggo's food truck is separate from Off The Wall Kids parties — different operation, different day. "Gluten-free and dairy-free — can you actually do that?" Yes — we source Dairy Free / Gluten Free cheese pizza and Dairy Free / Gluten Free cake. The pizza: cooked in our oven on its own tray, separate from other pizza, with a clean paddle, clean cutter, fresh gloves, and its own box — not touching the regular line. The cake: arrives sealed from the manufacturer. We do not bring nuts in or prep with nuts, but we cannot guarantee every ingredient never contacted nuts at a manufacturer. We limit exposure where we can — email info@offthewallkids.com for specific allergy questions before party day. Order GF/DF party items through info@offthewallkids.com Book the party itself: https://bookeo.com/off_the_wall_bookings Quick party-food rapid-fire Outside pizza / KFC / platters? No — use our kitchen and party food list. Outside cake? Booked party room only. Inspected kitchen + receipt. Stays in party room. Coffee from home? No. Loot bags with food inside? Hand out as guests leave. GF/DF pizza and cake? Yes — order by email. Need an exception? We do not do them — keeps every kid safer. Questions before the big day? 519-914-0551 or info@offthewallkids.com We will handle the oven. You handle the candles. The littles will handle sprinting to the volcano slide the second the door opens.
Read more →
Socks, Waivers & First Visit Rules at Off The Wall Kids (London)
Picture this: Saturday morning, East London, three littles in the back seat already wound up like rubber bands. You pull into 539 First St (Argyle — near Fanshawe College) for your first visit at Off The Wall Kids. Someone is in sandals. Nobody packed socks. And someone just asked, "Do I really need a waiver if I'm only watching?" We live at that front counter. So we turned the most common first-visit questions into a little Q&A — like the DMs and phone calls we get every week, except the "interviewer" is basically every parent in London, and the "guest" is us. Spoiler: there are socks. There are waivers. It is all simpler than it feels in the parking lot. "Okay but we're walk-ins, right? We don't HAVE to book?" Always welcome. Walk in anytime we are open. Online booking is there if you want it — it saves you money on admission and speeds things up on busy days — but it is not a gate. Your call. Pro move we love: sign your waiver at home and book online before you leave the house. Walk-ins still totally fine — just know the counter might take a few extra minutes if everyone is doing socks, waivers, and payment all at once. Admission and hours: https://www.offthewallkids.ca/admission-pricing · Book play: https://bookeo.com/off_the_wall_bookings "I brought socks for the kids. I'm literally just sitting with coffee. Why do I need socks?" This is the #1 debate at admission — and we get it, you are not climbing the volcano slide (probably). Here is the real talk. We are a socks-only facility past our admission counter. Anyone, any age. Past that counter = socks on feet. Kids bolt through the eating area where you are "just sitting." Shoes drag dirt and grit from the parking lot into where families eat and into the play structure. We are not following every single person every second to see who touched the floor — so the rule is simple: socks for everyone past the counter. It keeps the place cleaner and safer for all the littles running around. Bring your own, or grab ours at admission — we always have stock. Our branded grip socks are $3.54 (logo and everything). Grip socks are not required — any socks work — but we strongly recommend grip socks if you want extra stick on the structures. Mobility issues for adults? We have shoe covers at the counter. Just ask. We have got you. Baby in a carrier, not touching the ground? Still socks. We have seen... well, read the next section. "Waivers for a BABY? Seriously?" If they have a heartbeat, they need a waiver on file. Any age. Playing or not. We are a parent-supervised facility — we are not standing next to every guest making sure only signed-in people touch equipment. And we have stories. We have seen parents carry newborns up the volcano rock wall and down the slide. We have seen grandparents who "weren't playing" suddenly on the jumping pillow or flying down the donut slide with their grandkids. The waiver is not bureaucracy for fun — it is everyone acknowledging the risks of play here before anyone uses the equipment. Can grandma bring your kids? If you as the parent trust that, yes — she can sign for the kids. We need everyone on file; we do not require that only Mom or Dad signs. One digital form can cover an adult plus minors. Extra adults on the same visit? Each grown-up signs for themselves. You cannot sign another adult's waiver for them. "Fine. HOW do we sign, and do we do this every single visit?" Digital is what we prefer (and what regulars swear by). Sign on your phone at home, when you pull in, or at our kiosk. Good for 12 months from the day you sign — you do not need a new one every visit: https://www.offthewallkids.ca/waiver Paper? Available at the counter. Good for one entrance only. Come back next week without digital? New paper waiver. We look you up by name or phone. Sometimes staff will ask age or ID to make sure we have the right person — especially if something looks off. Party guests can sign before they arrive or at the door. Same rules. "What's the actual order when we walk in? Coat check vibes?" We have steps on the wall — and this is the flow that keeps the line moving: Coats and shoes off. Socks on. Waiver handled (already digital? bless you). Then check in and pay. Do that prep at home and you will breeze through. Save it all for the counter and you might wait a few minutes while we get everyone sorted — still normal, still friendly, just busier. "Rapid-fire before we load the car — socks edition" Kids need socks? Yes. Parents "not playing" need socks? Yes. Grip socks mandatory? Nope. Any socks. Grip socks recommended. Ours are $3.54 at admission. "Rapid-fire — waiver edition" Non-players need a waiver? If they have a heartbeat, yes. Digital waiver lasts how long? 12 months from signature. Paper waiver? One visit. Walk-in OK? Yes. Book online to save money: https://bookeo.com/off_the_wall_bookings First visit guide (matches our wall steps): https://www.offthewallkids.ca/first-visit-guide Hours today? Today's Hours bar on our website. Rates: https://www.offthewallkids.ca/admission-pricing Thinking ahead to a party or PA Day? Parties: https://www.offthewallkids.ca/kids-birthday-parties-london-ontario · PA Days: https://www.offthewallkids.ca/pa-day-activities-london-ontario · Summer camps: https://www.offthewallkids.ca/summer-camps-london-ontario That is the whole first-visit script. Pack socks, sign the waiver on the couch tonight, and come see us in East London. Questions? 519-914-0551. We will be the ones at the counter — and your littles will be the ones making a beeline for the volcano slide.
Read more →
Rainy Day Activities for Kids in London, Ontario
Grey sky. Restless littles. Everyone cooped up since breakfast. If you live in London, Ontario, you know the feeling — and you probably know the budget conversation that comes with it. We are Off The Wall Kids, an indoor playground in East London (Argyle area, not far from Fanshawe College). Rainy days are basically our specialty. This is our straight-up guide for families trying to plan a wet weekend — including the stuff we get asked about constantly: hours, pricing, walk-ins, parties, socks, waivers, and where to park. First things first: you do not need an online booking to visit us. Walk-ins are welcome. Always. Booking online usually saves you a little on admission and holds your spot on a busy Saturday — we recommend it when the forecast looks ugly — but it is not a requirement. If you have called us to ask that question before, you are in good company. We answer it all the time. For hours and pricing, check the Today's Hours bar at the top of our website before you drive over. We are usually open 10:00am to 8:00pm, seven days a week, but holiday hours can change. Current admission rates by age are on our Admission & Pricing page: https://www.offthewallkids.ca/admission-pricing Are we full because there are birthday parties? This is the other big rainy-day question. Short answer: no. Our capacity is well over 300. Even at our busiest, parties take up roughly 75 spaces — not the whole building. We always have room for drop-in families. We have not been at capacity where we had to send people elsewhere in years — and honestly, we try not to send anyone anywhere else in the first place. If you want extra peace of mind, book online and your admission is reserved. If you prefer to walk in, come on in. London families have voted us Best Indoor Playground two years in a row through community votes — and Best Children's Entertainer two years in a row as well. We are grateful for that. We are not the biggest indoor play space out there, and that is okay. What we are is a place built for real families on real rainy Saturdays. So what actually happens when you walk through the door? A lot of kids make a beeline for the volcano slide first — it is hard to miss and it looks as cool as it sounds. From there it is climbing, slides, the jumping pillow, and running off steam in a way your living room couch will never forgive. Parents tell us the thing they notice right away is the sightlines. We designed the space so you can sit in the eating area and still see your kids almost everywhere they go — in the structure, on the jumping pillow, at concession, heading to the bathrooms. You are not playing zone defence across three separate rooms wondering which child you lost track of. We also hear from families with mixed ages that they love not having to choose. Younger littles and older kids can play within the same visual space. We have a small toddler area for the smallest ones, but the main structure is built so parents can walk through the entire space with toddlers who are moving well. If your little one wants to explore with you right beside them, you are not stuck in one corner while big sister disappears into a maze somewhere else. How long do people stay? Plan for at least two hours. Many families are here three hours or more — especially with Unlimited Play Until We Close on online bookings. Kids do not always tap out on a schedule, and rainy days have a way of stretching the afternoon. The concession is part of why people linger. We try to keep food prices reasonable for parents — healthier options alongside the classics: chicken nuggets, chicken strips, fries, pizza, and more. One stop, full afternoon, nobody's melting down in a drive-thru line in the rain. Before you come, two rules that catch people off guard — especially in summer: Socks. Every single person who comes past our admission counter needs socks, regardless of age. Sandals and bare feet happen a lot when the weather is warm. Pack socks or plan to pick them up at admission. Waivers. Everyone needs a signed waiver — any age, playing or not playing. Babies, parents, grandparents — if you are coming past the counter, we need a waiver on file. Sign ahead here if you can: https://www.offthewallkids.ca/waiver Our First Visit Guide walks through the rest: https://www.offthewallkids.ca/first-visit-guide When is it busy, and when is it quieter? Rainy weekends — especially mid-day — are our peak times. If you want a calmer visit, come first thing in the morning (10:00am to noon) or later in the afternoon (5:00pm until we close). Parking: we have a small lot at 539 First St. You can also use Diamond HVAC parking. On weekends only, Hickey Appliance's lot is available too. If those are full, follow the signs in the neighbourhood — there is additional parking behind our building with a walkway along the north side that brings you back to our front entrance. Full directions: https://www.offthewallkids.ca/parking Rainy days are not the only reason families find us. Birthday parties and camps are big parts of what we do — and they do not shut out drop-in play. If you have a celebration on the horizon, our party packages are here: https://www.offthewallkids.ca/kids-birthday-parties-london-ontario For PA Days, school breaks, and summer weeks when the rain will not quit: https://www.offthewallkids.ca/pa-day-activities-london-ontario and https://www.offthewallkids.ca/summer-camps-london-ontario More year-round family ideas in London: https://www.offthewallkids.ca/things-to-do-with-kids-london-ontario Quick answers we get on rainy days: Do we need a reservation? Walk-ins welcome. Online booking saves money and reserves your spot — nice on busy weekends, not required. What does admission cost? Rates by age (0–23 months, 2–17, additional adults). One adult per child is free. See current prices: https://www.offthewallkids.ca/admission-pricing What are today's hours? Check the Today's Hours bar on our site — usually 10:00am–8:00pm, holidays may differ. Are parties taking over the building? No — drop-in families are always part of the mix. Socks and waivers for everyone? Yes. Both. Every time. Ready to get out of the rain? Grab socks, sign waivers if you can, and come see us. Walk in anytime we are open — or book online to save a bit and hold your spot: https://bookeo.com/off_the_wall_bookings We will see you on the volcano slide.
Read more →