Famplosion.com Local Activities for the Family

Finding family-friendly and fun activities isn’t always easy. Some things, like bowling, seem like a great idea until you get there and realize that your six year old is going to have a rough time of it in that smoky, beer-chugging alley you’ve chosen. That’s where Famplosion comes in.

The site is basically a database of area activities graded by age of participation. The site is currently limited to major metropolitan areas, however, so if you don’t life in the Bay Area, Chicago, etc. you’re not likely to find it very useful.

Aimed at families with children under eighteen, this website maps local venues and events and gives details on them. Event organizers, business owners, or those who’ve discovered something they want to share can ad information to the site for others to find. Users who’ve visited can leave comments for others to read about what they think of the venue or event.

Google Maps with pointers to the locations of activities are provided as are website, telephone, and other contact information. Many search options to narrow your results are possible too and, as with most user-supported sites, voting up or down on an activity shows a quick reference to what people think of it.

Famplosion is a great idea and will hopefully take off. It allows parents with children to find fun things to do and to see what other parents thought of the venue before they go themselves. Right now, however, the site is very limited in geography, so most will likely not find it of much use. It’s worth bookmarking and coming back to, though. It’s free to use and as it grows, will become more useful for those of us who don’t live downtown or near the big city.