Going anywhere with two children is always a slightly unpredictable adventure. You already know there will be plenty of “Are we there yet?”, “When are we going home?”, “I’m hungry!”, “I’m thirsty!”, “I want that!”, and of course, “I don’t want that!” You also know that the two-hour programme you had carefully planned will somehow turn into at least four.
So when we set off for the Experience Centre in Gyula, I have to admit that I was secretly looking forward not only to the children having fun, but also to something called the “parent lounge”.
The plan sounded simple enough. The children would play, while I would finally sit down with a coffee and enjoy a few precious minutes in which nobody asked me for anything. The centre had thought of parents too, creating a comfortable waiting area where adults could take a break while the children were busy playing.
At least, that was the theory. In our case, I never actually made it there.
A sign near the entrance explained that the historic building, which had stood empty for years, had been renovated with EU funding and given a completely new purpose. Once inside, I realised just how extensive the work had been. The roof structure had been rebuilt, the interiors renovated, the basement brought back into use and the courtyard landscaped.
The result is an experience centre designed both for local families and for visitors to Gyula, like us. The city’s tourism offer has grown steadily in recent years, and this attraction was created specifically with families with young children in mind.
By the time we reached the first of the six themed rooms, it was already obvious that there would be very little sitting around. The baby and toddler room is designed for the youngest visitors, with toys, play mats and a crawling tunnel. Naturally, my children charged through it too, despite being well beyond the crawling stage.
The next stop was the indoor adventure park, where trampolines, climbing frames, tunnels, slides and bouncing areas made sure the children got more than enough exercise. I stayed close by, of course. At first, I watched every move with the usual anxious-parent look, but before long I found myself simply enjoying how happy they were and how confidently they tried things they had never done before.
The gamer room was a completely different world, full of consoles and interactive games. We also found a special selfie corner, where of course we all squeezed in for a few silly photos together. That part, at least, I understood.
The games themselves were another matter. I could barely follow what was happening on the screen, let alone understand how anyone could control everything at that speed. Still, I was quietly proud that my children somehow could. I was just becoming a little sentimental about how clever they were when they had already raced off to the next room.
In Minipolis, an entire miniature town had been created. Children could go shopping, play in a bakery, exchange money at a bank, become police officers or try their hand at crafts. Within minutes, mine had established their own small city-state with its own rules.
The only thing missing was a lifeguard, although in Gyula I would hardly have been surprised to see one. I had to accept that, in this town at least, I was definitely not the mayor.
The party room brought another surprise. Sound systems, lights, microphones, consoles and large screens created the perfect setting for children’s parties and celebrations. By this point, I was hardly surprised when my two suddenly transformed into professional DJs. We also went down to the basement together, where board games, billiards, darts and table football were waiting for us. For a brief moment, I considered showing off my legendary pool skills. Then, after what felt like endless games of table football, I began to picture repetitive strain injury instead.
Luckily, that was exactly when the children finally started showing signs of hunger. They did ask what came next, but the promise of cake proved surprisingly effective, and I managed to persuade them to leave without too much trouble. We could have had something at the centre’s café, but this time we decided to head somewhere else and made our way to the nearby, and rightly famous, Százéves Cukrászda.
The children barely stopped talking on the way. They told me who had been the police officer, what they had bought in the shop, who had won which game and which obstacle course had been the best. They talked and talked all the way there. And I have to admit, I had enjoyed myself too.
I may not have had the relaxing break I had imagined, but spending that time together turned out to be worth far more. Shared experiences like this are precious. They leave you tired, but somehow recharged at the same time.
At the pastry shop, three exhausted but very satisfied people sat down and happily worked their way through slices of French cream cake. I can think of much worse ways to spend a day. We will definitely be back.
The development was implemented from EU funding in the project GINOP-7.1.9-17-2020-00041 under the Economic Development and Innovation Operational Programme Plus.
Find out more about the project in the Project Finder: Details
