Escape Zone offers fun for kids, parents Published May 5, 2006 By By Tech. Sgt. Joseph Kapinos 319th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs GRAND FORKS AFB, N.D. -- The phone is ringing, the television is blaring with the latest and greatest infomercial, the dog is barking, the sink is full of dishes and your child is standing there looking at you expectantly about a game that you promised you would play together. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a place to go and escape all the daily distractions of life that keep us from doing the things we would rather do, like playing a game with a child? Now there is; the Escape Zone. “The Escape Zone is a parent-child interactive learning center dedicated to helping parents spend time with their children in an environment free from distractions,” said Vicki Lokken, a community readiness consultant with the family support center here. “It also allows military spouses the opportunity to network and support each other, especially during the winter months.” While the facility is used primarily as a place for parents and children to play together in a safe, distraction-free environment, it has a lot more to offer. Monthly programs offer parents training on child development and parenting skills from family advocacy, nutrition from the North Dakota State University extension, and classes dealing with diversity education (to include children with all levels of abilities). “The programs are geared for parents to adapt based on their child’s ability and interests,” said Ms. Lokken. While many of the activities are designed to help parents with the daily balance between work and home, many of the activities are designed solely for parent and child. These include play and music sessions along with learning about numbers and letters. “It gives my daughter, Riley, and I a real chance for some one-on-one interaction, without the normal daily interruptions,” said Mrs. Amanda Ruebusch, a military spouse. The Escape Zone is a free program that was originally developed at McChord Air Force Base, Washington and is open to active duty family members (along with guard and reserve members who are on active duty orders). There are two sessions each day, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding federal holidays. Parents can attend any session during the day and can come in anytime during the open hours. All of the sessions are geared for children up to 5 years old. Older siblings can attend, but the activities and toys are designed for younger children. Since the program is built around parent-child interaction, the facility is not set up as a child day care center. “We believe in parents being the safety monitor for their children,” said Ms. Lokken. “Responsibility for the child rests on the caregiver.” According to Ms. Lokken, The Escape Zone is a place for parents and neighbors to get away from the pressures of the military mission and reconnect with one another, further enhancing the Air Force’s “wingman” culture. It also allows children to have the type of one-on-one interaction that they need, both with their parents and with the other children through games and toys. “Our biggest belief and our number one rule,” said Ms. Lokken. “Is that we all have fun!”