THE POWER OF PLAY

By Dave Southorn

Pojo’s Family Fun Center

Generations of families have come to Pojo’s Family Fun Center, well before home video game consoles or the Internet. Owned and run locally on the same block of Boise’s Fairview Avenue since 1974, the current 22,000 square foot location includes indoor bumper cars, a carousel, and arcade games. Pojo’s also has a large redemption center for its many ticket games, chock full of kid-friendly prizes. A pro tip: join the free VIP program to not only have a handy card to store ticket wins, but also earn bonuses for big wins and other purchases made around the facility. You’ll also earn a special discount via postcard on your birthday.

Pojo’s on-site cafe offers burgers, sandwiches, wraps, fries, soft drinks, ice cream, and much more. In addition to birthday parties and other group packages, Pojo’s also offers school nights where local schools host kids and their families, with 20% of the total earnings given back to the schools.

Make sure to check out the daily specials, too, from deals for grandparents on Mondays to $7 unlimited bumper car and carousel rides on the weekends.

One of the Treasure Valley’s favorite ways to beat the summertime heat is even bigger this year. A 10-to-15 year expansion plan will increase Roaring Springs Waterpark’s size by 40%, but the first phase opened May 31. The new additions include Camp

IdaH2O, with new slides and Gem State themes, and even a 650-gallon tipping bucket shaped like a potato (of course!). Also new is the Critter Crossing activity pool and Class 5 Crossing river. That’s all in addition to the slides and splash pools already part of the park. Daily specials and season passes are available for those looking to save while cooling off.

Right next door to Roaring Springs is a favorite indoor/outdoor complex for 25 years that features just about every possible thing to entertain young ones and those tagging along. Two mini golf courses (including the remodeled Hillbilly Hollow), go-karts, batting cages, and bumper boats are great ways to have fun under the sun. Inside, there’s just as much to do, with a large arcade, café, laser tag, laser maze, rides for all ages, and a three-story ropes course.

In 2012, the complex grew with the addition of Pinz, a 24-lane bowling center that includes a bar and grill. Adults and kids can even join their bowling clubs to learn and compete.

Meridian got a new look along I-84 in November 2022 with the long-awaited bright lights and 150-foot tall nets of Topgolf, the company’s first facility in Idaho and the only one within a 300-mile radius. Featuring 60 all-weather bays on two levels, the golf driving range game includes high-tech ball-tracking capabilities as you shoot toward targets, with multiple game settings to allow fun for everyone, not just those in the family who play 18 holes regularly.

There is also a nine-hole mini golf course for those looking to work on their short game. Inside, a massive full bar and restaurant are available if you want to make a day out of your visit, or food and drinks can be brought to your golf bay, which also includes clubs, so no need to bring your own.

“The Boise community has let us know how excited they are to have a Topgolf opening near them, and we’re just as excited to join the community,” Topgolf COO Gen Gray said in a statement. “Consider this an open invitation to Boise and beyond to come play around at

Topgolf. Our whole experience is focused on just letting loose and having fun—no golf knowledge needed.”

Since its opening, the venue has been very popular, but you can plan ahead by reserving a bay on the Topgolf website. Visit on Tuesdays for half-price game play. And if you are a big enough fan of the games, there are even leagues you can join to compete in and win prizes.

Featuring the Treasure Valley’s only year-round sheets of ice, Idaho IceWorld has two National Hockey League-sized rinks that also have seating for 600 and 250 people, respectively. Few spots in town can claim to be as cool as them during those blistering summer months!

Most weeks, families can take part in public skating five days a week at IceWorld. Adults are $12 with skate rentals and kids under 12 are $11. Season passes are also available. The facility includes a food court.

In addition to open skating, those interested in using those skills have options— IceWorld hosts the Boise Figure Skating Club and has learn-to-skate programs plus in-house coaches. It also is the home to the Treasure Valley’s burgeoning hockey community, with dozens of teams from youth and high school leagues to women’s teams to co-ed recreational teams suiting up and competing. IceWorld has an in-house gear shop, and for those interested in learning hockey, offers the Hockey Learn To Play (HLTP) program that teaches skills to newcomers before they can join teams that suit their skill level.