Things to Do in Dunmore

Every winter, the professional ice carvers at Sculpted Ice Works whittle and chip away at large blocks of ice to create Crystal Cabin Fever, an indoor, interactive display of expertly formed frozen water. In the event’s infancy, the exhibit was limited to a life-size ice cabin, but it has since blossomed to include a unique annual theme, live carving demonstrations, and an ice slide—totaling more than 100 tons of ice in all.

Two former Air Force officers with a passion for teaching children put their minds together to create Bricks 4 Kidz. The lab integrates scientific play with LEGO projects that vary by week. Depending on the week's theme, kids might build and program a satellite, model the Empire State Building, or create an alligator whose mouth snaps shut any time mom tries to feed it peas. Each project combines the fundamental principles of science, architecture, technology, and engineering, thereby supplementing what children learn during the school day. When children complete their project, they transition to free play, tapping into their imaginations or imaginary friends to built whatever they want.

Inside Pump It Up's 12,000-square-foot facility, sock-clad feet scamper across custom-designed inflatable play structures, slides, and obstacle courses while an attentive staff supervises. On Jump-N-Art days, kids can follow open-bouncing sessions with arts-and-crafts projects, and vibrant neon lights illuminate the dimmed facility during Glow Parties. An onsite party room hosts bouncers and their parents, who refuel with pizza, soda, and juice. The center also supplies up to 25 children or 250 life-size Hannah Montana cutouts with private party packages, which grant guests exclusive access to the facility along with catering, cake, and goody bags.

When Francesca Piotrowsky and Amy Sahagian, each mother to a trio of little ones, met at a stay-at-home mom’s group, they discovered a shared vision for an interactive place where their kids could frolic and socialize in a structured environment. The enterprising duo brought their dream to life with Monkeydoodles Playroom, a spacious facility stocked with toys, cushioned geometric shapes, and climbable structures. The playroom hosts 45-minute classes that help youngsters develop age-appropriate skills, such as balance and coordination, taking turns, or the ability to use trigonometry to pin the tail on the donkey. Open playtime sessions summon tykes aged 6 months to 5 years for independent escapades in the ball pit or astride a rocking horse.

Progenitors can prepare snacks in the playroom’s kitchen as their offspring mimic their actions in a pretend kitchen. The life-size kitchen lets parents tuck away a birthday cake during parties, for which Monkeydoodles Playroom can provide pizza and balloons for guests to gather into bunches and ride home on the breeze.

Throughout the week, Live Learn and Play abounds with youngsters of all ages, genders, and special needs, frolicking among inflatable obstacle courses, therapeutic swings, and ball pits under the supervision of childcare professionals. During youth classes and camps certified instructors lead classes in art, dance, and music, enriching kids' bodies and minds while distracting them from plots to age. Meanwhile, in the parent-resource center, adults attend childcare-training workshops and an abundance of classes, including kickboxing, nutrition, and yoga. The center even offers mild hyperbaric oxygen therapy, which utilizes healing oxygen treatments in an effort to improve conditions such as autism, arthritis, and allergies.