Children's indoor rec. facility opens in E.B.

A youngster climbs out of one of the inflatable amusements inside the Jumping Jungle, a 10,000- square-foot indoor recreation center that recently opened in East Brunswick. EAST BRUNSWICK — Answering the cries of parents and children who say there isn't enough for kids to do in the township, a group of local business people has opened a new business just for children.

The Jumping Jungle opened recently on Alvin Court, off Tices Lane, and features an array of inflatable rides and games for children, according to co-owner Bob Zak. The new business is located next to the former Sports 'n Stuff.

Zak described the Jumping Jungle as an indoor children's recreation facility, and said it includes eight unique inflatable rides, as well as a number of child-friendly video games and two private party rooms. The center of the facility is a parents'viewing room, allowing them to watch all areas of the facility. Also included are vending machines, Wi-Fi access and two 42-inch, flat-panel televisions.

The Jumping Jungle is open for private parties or just "open jumps," as they are called. In accordance with state law, an employee supervises each ride, he said.

Zak, who owns the business along with his wife Lisa and friends Greg and Christine Wathen, said the idea for the facility came up when Greg Wathen visited Texas and saw the popularity of such facilities.

"At the time they came back, there were none of these in New Jersey," Zak said. Though there are several in the state, Zak said the East Brunswick business is focusing on offering a clean and ecofriendly facility.

"Part of our core principle is to keep it as clean as possible," he said.

He said children spend half their time on one side of the facility, where there are four rides, including a 20-foot slide, bounce house, mini obstacle course, and a football game with Nerf balls. The other side includes various games, another bounce house, and the facility's largest ride, the Adrenaline Rush II, a 50-foot obstacle course.

The game area includes 12 video games such as Star Wars and air hockey. Zak described the games as being "newer and nonviolent."

He said the facility is intended to be eco-friendly, "at least as much as we can do from an economic standpoint." In the day-to-day operation, the facility uses about three-dozen environmentally friendly products, including everything from soaps and floor cleaners to party products. Even the facility's business cards are printed on 100 percent recycled paper.

Zak said the owners looked at sites around Middlesex County and chose the building in part because it featured the high ceilings needed to fit the equipment. But the group also realized it needed a site that was close to major highways and in a densely populated area.

For more information, visit www.JumpingJungle.com.