Scandia Family Fun for big kids and their grown-ups

Aside from all the parenting I had to do, my visit to Fairfield’s Scandia Family Fun Center made me feel like a kid again. The whole complex felt like a throwback to my own childhood in the eighties because the activities were so familiar and everything needed a fresh coat of paint. Scandia is about a 45 minute drive from Berkeley. I was joined by my nine- and ten-year old sons and we were almost tall enough to enjoy all the fun activities. We’ll definitely be back when we have more than one hour to play.

We laughed, we cried, we hit our heads on the putt-putt castle! The ten-year old loved the mini golf and laser tag. The nine-year old hated the bumper boats (the water blasters can really soak you!) and laser tag (someone has to lose!). They were both too short — less than 58″ — for Indy Car go-karts and not interested in the batting cages.

We all would have spent more time and money in the arcade if we hadn’t been pressed for time: I’m a sucker for air hockey and they love all screens. In keeping with my overall fun-but-grimy impression, one of the air hockey tables was too sticky to glide. Eww.

I bet this comparison has been made before, but Scandia Family Fun Center felt like Vegas for Kids. You can expect two challenging-because-they’re-old-and-uneven miniature golf courses; batting cages; race cars; bumper boats with mega-squirt power; a “safe and clean” little kids playland; video game arcade that makes you forget what time it is; and a snack bar. There are a bunch of attractions for all ages, but I’d recommend it for age seven and up.

Plan your visit to Scandia Family Fun Center

Where is it?
4300 Central Place Fairfield, CA 94534

Parking was easy in the huge lot.

When:
Posted hours are

• Sunday-Thursday: 10:00am – 10:00pm
• Friday – Saturday: 10:00am – 11:30pm

but you should always double-check before going.

Prices are hecka confusing. You can purchase a 4-hour fun pass or buy individual credits on a card. Because my children are too small for all the attractions and we only had about an hour, we opted for the a la carte. I think we spent about $60 for everything we did and came home with a few credits to spare. See more about pricing here.

[First photo is from Scandia Family Fun via yelp; all others are by Heather Flett all rights reserved]