Lunar Mini Golf

The kids and I were looking for a way to kill a Saturday afternoon while Rich was away at a conference, so we wound up at the Cincinnati Mills Mall, where we haven't been in ages. It's a little disconcerting to see that so many of the stores there are now empty. Still, it's a fun place for little ones to burn off some energy indoors. There's a PBS Kids playground, which is good for 20-30 minutes of jumping around. The big draw, of course, is the Wonder Park, a Chuckie Cheese-like place with pizza, tons of video games (most of which cost at least 50 cents to play), and kiddie rides that range from $1 to $3.
But what really got the boys excited this time was Lunar Mini Golf. Right next to the Wonder Park, we discovered an indoor mini-golf course that offered so many things my boys enjoy: sticks, balls, and stuff that glows in the dark. The indoor course isn't fancy -- there aren't windmills or hippos bathing in waterfalls -- but there are two courses with 18 holes each that are challenging but not too frustrating for children. The gimmick is that the entire operation takes place in the dark, except for blacklights that set off the fluorescent course in an otherworldly sort of way. (In fact, SH thought we were playing "Alien Hockey").
Kids 5 and younger can play up to three rounds for only $3 (the man behind the counter let SS, age 2, "play" for free). Kids 6-12 pay $6 and adults pay $8, but there's no requirement that the adult has to play. SH, SS and I spent a really fun hour knocking little glowing golf balls around, all for three bucks. I highly recommend it.
What: Lunar Mini Golf
Where: Cincinnati Mills Mall. Take 27 to I-275 E. toward Dayton. Take the Winton Rd. Exit, #39. Turn left. The mall will be on the right. Takes about 40 minutes from Oxford.
When: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday