Joey’s Outback Adventures
By Krista Martinelli
What is it about Joey’s Outback Adventures that makes kids and
parents want to come back? Located in the Fresh Market plaza on Forest Hill Boulevard in Wellington, Joey’s is beautifully designed, so that kids can jump, slide and play. And parents can work (free WiFi), watch TV, enjoy something from the café or even exercise while their kids are having fun. It’s the biggest indoor play place in the area – approximately 14,000 square feet of air-conditioned fun.
“We are very family-oriented,” says owner Francesca Friedman. “It’s good, clean, cool fun, with a variety of different types of fun things to do indoors at Joey’s Outback.” Many parents have commented that they especially appreciate the fact that there is something for even their really young children as well as their older children. With things to do for kids from 12 months to 12 years, Joey’s offers a secure gated area with learning toys for kids under 18 months, the “Koala Korner,” – and for kids 5 and under, they have fun and educational toys, tea parties and even costumes for dress up, along with a toddler bounce house. The bounce house mazes and obstacle courses are great for a variety of ages along with the arcade and video games for the older kids. Some of the other indoor play places do not offer anything for the older siblings and do not even allow kids in over the age of 6 or 8.
Another element that makes the kids want to return to Joey’s
Outback are the employees. “Our people – we call them ‘Roo Mates’ – are very interactive with the kids,” says Francesca. Many of the employees are high school or college students, who are studying to become teachers or child psychologists and have a strong interest in working with the children. Although safety always comes first, the fun factor is extremely important at Joey’s Outback. Many of the kids will ask for their favorite ‘Roo Mate’ – because they had such a great time with him or her last time they visited.
Owner Francesca Friedman, along with her husband Michael, named Joey’s Outback Adventures after their four-year-old son Joey. “We went around to different play places with Joey, but couldn’t find any that offered ALL of the different elements that would be fun for kids and comfortable for parents. So, this place is all because of Joey,” explains Francesca.
Joey’s Outback offers a lot of special events and special evenings. Visit their website and see the details under “Events.” Some of these are still to come, so be sure to get on Joey’s email list for the latest info too.
· Special Needs night – 2nd Monday of each month
· Adults Only night – 3rd Friday of each month
· Princess Tea parties – Tuesdays at 4:30pm
· Family Nights – coming soon on Friday nights for all ages, 4pm to 8pm
· Music Classes – also coming soon
· Mommy & Me Classes – “Li’l Koalas”
· Arts & Crafts Classes – “Picasaroos”
· PreK workshops
· Exercise Classes – “Boomercise”
Their South Florida Parenting Kids Crown-awarded “Special Needs Night” is greatly appreciated by parents of special needs children. Joey’s provides their staff who are trained how to monitor and properly interact with special needs kids, giving parents a much-needed break to relax a bit while letting their kids play and exercise in a safe environment.
Adults Only Night evolved after many adults said that they would enjoy a chance to jump in the bounce houses and slide down the slides, just to be a kid again! They also get a chance to win “free hops” for the kids with karaoke and limbo contests!
The Princess Tea Parties at Joey’s are adorable. A special princess comes to visit, finger sandwiches and snacks are served, they play princess trivia, dance and even have a princess parade! The owners’ son Joey transforms into a prince in a 3-piece white suit and Joey, their mascot, makes a visit. Reservations are required in advance. It’s $1 off for the girls who come dressed as princesses. Visit www.JoeysOutback.com for more info on these and other current and upcoming events.
What do children appreciate most about Joey’s? It’s the variety of different things they can do – including jumps, slides, basketball, obstacle courses, toys, dress-up, arcade games and Wii games. Also, they love Joey’s staff. “We are fussy about our employees here,” says Friedman. She explains that she has found that some employees are terrific with toddlers, but not good at the front desk and vice versa. It takes a short while to find where each employee does their best and really shines.
What do parents appreciate most about Joey’s? “That it’s clean,” says Friedman right away. “We clean the jumps every day and completely sanitize them every other week. We clean our toys constantly. We clean our carpets constantly. I’m a neat freak. Parents appreciate that.” The professional cleaning company that they use employs organic products, which parents appreciate too. The level of security is excellent too – with 29 cameras inside and outside of the building. Children and adults have matching wrist bands and are checked by staff before leaving.
Adults also seem quite happy to find exercise equipment, flat screen TVs, and good quality home-made food (by Francesca) for the birthday parties. Francesca Friedman is Italian and is known to make excellent baked ziti, meatballs subs, sausage/peppers/onion sandwiches and other good things that you normally would not find at a kid’s birthday party.
Joey’s Outback birthday parties are nice and easy for the
parents. A host and server are provided for each party from Joey’s staff. The parents just bring the “Three C’s” – Cake, Candles and Children! The parties come with two hours in a private party den, either a Joey kangaroo mascot or a princess depending on the party, invitations, souvenir “Joey Cups” for each mate, t-shirt for the birthday kid and no worries – set-up, serving and clean-up. Parties can be large or small, depending on your guest list. They can open up a curtain to combine two party rooms for the larger parties at Joey’s.
The owners of Joey’s Outback are already proactive about giving back to the community, especially when it comes to children’s causes. This past summer they celebrated “Christmas in July” and collected toys for the Kids Cancer Foundation. They’ve participated in many silent auctions and raffles for school fundraisers and firefighter organizations. Michael and Francesca feel strongly about adoption, since they are so happy with their own adoption of their four-year-old son. Several times a year they present a “Heart Gallery” inside Joey’s Outback, where the Children’s Home Society shows older kids (in a photo gallery) who are up for adoption. “We want to raise awareness about adopting and about foster care,” says Francesca. “It’s unfortunate that you happen to hear about the bad stories, more than the good ones.” They tell a positive story of doing a foster-to-adopt program and having Joey come into their lives. They also have a “Foster Care Free Day” on a regular basis at Joey’s – free admission for foster care children.
Joey’s is open every day of the year except for Thanksgiving and Christmas! They can customize special outings for groups – daycare centers, youth groups, schools, sports teams, religious organizations and other groups. Hop on over to Joey’s Outback in Wellington and have a ball! And don’t forget your socks and long pants – better for the slides.
Joey’s Outback Adventures
10670 W. Forest Hill Blvd.
Wellington, FL 33414
In the Fresh Market Plaza
(561) 204-4554
See the Joey’s coupon ad on
AroundWellington.com for special savings!
School Season Hours at Joey’s
Sunday – Thursday: 11am to 6pm
Friday & Saturday: 11am to 8pm