When software architects Anitha Chandramouli and Pavithra Ramamurthy returned to Chennai from the US a year ago they faced a big problem – their children, who were used to sophisticated play gyms and family gaming zones, were at a loss because they could not find similar facilities in Chennai.
“This led to much thought and that’s how we hit upon the idea of ‘Funbelievable’. What distinguishes this place from other arcades is its ‘edutainment’ element. We hope to bring in those little eureka moments in a child’s life that discovering something new is associated with,” says Pavithra, who on Sunday threw open a unique gaming zone complete with a video game arcade, a bowling alley, a jungle-themed softplay gym, a batting cage, archery targets and a range of other games for the entire family. The entry cost is `200, which will allow visitors to play two or three games depending on the games selected.
The arcade, which stretches across 12,000 sq ft of indoor space at Navalur on Old Mahabalipuram Road, was inaugurated by MLA-actor Sharath Kumar and actor Radhika on Sunday. The colourful play gym, touted to inspire families to spend quality time with each other and in the process “open up tiny windows to identify a child’s potential”, was thrown open to 25 children from an orphanage, Seva Samajam, at the inauguration.
Funbelievable will also offer ‘party packages’ for children’s birthday parties, play-groups, end of season parties, field trips and corporate events.