Last week we had the opportunity to tour Splat - a new indoor art studio and sensory play centre located in the St. Laurent Mall.

There are a number of indoor play places around Ottawa, but the majority are geared to physical activities and arcade-style game centres. Splat allows children to tap into their creative side, offering a wide array of arts and crafts, pretend play and sensory activities.

The studio is generally busiest on weekends, so we snuck in at 4pm on a Monday and had the entire place to ourselves! The space is just down the way from Toys R Us, so make sure to park accordingly.

The space is set up into different centres, which include:

- a big sand "pit"

- theatre and performance (with dress up clothes and microphones!)

- music

- play kitchen with playdough

- arts and crafts centre

- sensory table

- water tables

- painting

There is also a weekly pre-fab craft that children can do while they're there.

When you go, be prepared to stay for a while. I wish I'd thought to do dinner at the mall so that we could have stayed longer, as I could NOT drag my kids out of there. According to both my girls, Splat gets "5 stars!!"

In terms of ages, the studio has something for everyone. I was worried my 9yo might be bored, but she loved the craft centre where she could just sit and make her creations, and she got right into the theatre and put on a little performance. Very young children will also find things to do, although they'll need a lot more guidance from parents.