For smiles, slime and more, head to the Sloomoo Institute in New York, Chicago and Atlanta
The holidays are over, the snow shovels are out and there is still some time before the first shoots of spring are felt. So what do we do to cheer ourselves up in Frigid-February?
Well, thank God for the season of love giving us a reason to get up and shine. Starting the month of Valentine’s Day, each week we’ll bring you the ultimate offbeat destination across the country to spend a day with family, friends or that special someone. We’re saving the outdoors for the summer because indoor fun this season is twice as good.
So if you want to discover a secret spot loved by Hollywood stars like Drew Barrymore, Christina Aguilera, Jessica Alba, Robert De Niro and many more, head to Sloomoo.
Read: Tweet a rose to Modi on Valentine’s Day: Indian diaspora activists launch new campaign (February 12, 2021)
Sloomoo Institute is an immersive multi-sensory space that will instantly put joy on your face and a spring in your step. The experiential place takes you through many designated areas where you can engage with craft slime.
Although at first you may think of the place as a wonderful destination for children, it won’t take many guests to immerse yourself in the fun yourself. With scented and textured slimes that are kept for free play, not only can one experience a rare tactile experience, but it can also have calming and de-stressing effects on adults.
Various researches have now proven that slime can actually soothe stress. In 2020, the Big Bang UK, Young Scientists and Engineers Fair launched a challenge to see if slime had a positive effect on well-being and concentration.
Engineers used Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) sensors to measure fluctuations in participants’ sweat levels while playing with slime as they completed certain arithmetic tasks. The same tasks were repeated without the slime.
The results revealed a 39% decrease in stress among the participants. In some cases, engineers also noted that playing with slime totally erased the stress caused by a difficult cognitive task.
Researchers also show that squishy play can trigger ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response) which has been linked to mental health and relaxation.
The Sloomoo Institute, which started as a pop-up in New York, quickly spread to other cities as a permanent place for kids and adults to step back, take a few hours out of their digital lives. and simply give in to the sensory and enveloping play. experiences like walking in a mud lake or standing under a mud waterfall.
A DIY slime bar also lets you create your own slime by browsing through hundreds of charms, scents, and colors to choose from. This little exercise, while providing interesting insight into their own personalities for adults, is also a great way for little kids to learn about making choices and understanding their favorites.
Read: V-Day with Veterans: U.S. Indian Representative Ami Bera visits veterans in Sacramento County for Valentine’s Day (February 14, 2019)
A wall of mud which is a work of art in itself, ASMR experiences, soundscapes are some of the other attractions of this treasure which can be the best date spot you’ve ever had, a family outing memorable or even a great adult off-site experience!
To book tickets: https://sloomooinstitute.com/pages/tickets
The American Bazaar caught up with Karen Robinovitz, co-founder of the Sloomoo Institute. A media veteran, Robinovitz is credited with creating the social media influencer market. Along with her Sloomoo co-founder, Sara Schiller, she is also on the advisory board of the Brooklyn Museum. We talk to her about how sensory spaces and community experiences like Sloomoo are especially useful during post-Covid times.
AB: In these times when most fun activities are becoming tech-enabled as well, the idea of a screen-free time of messy gaming where you let yourself go seems like a very refreshing idea. But when you started, were there any doubts that people might take time to open up to the concept?
KR: One of the most important things about being an entrepreneur is to believe in this concept and to have a fearless approach. That’s what we felt building this brand.
Because we’ve experienced so much joy and magic, indulging in the Slime game, especially as adults, we truly believed we wouldn’t be the only ones, and it wouldn’t go beyond the kids. .
AB: While kids take to slime like fish to water, the idea of introducing slime as a sensory and de-stressing activity for adults sounds great. Tell us more.
KR: We all have so much on our plates and are caught up in the stresses of life, work, family, self-care, news, the world and so much more.
Being able to leave it all behind, tap into the inner child and play without self-awareness is something very few of us do, including the two of us.
When we started playing with slime, we realized we were in the moment and were really letting go of everything that was weighing us down. Our mission is to bring joy and bring our guests together through the magic of play.
So many parents visit our space and think they won’t participate and end up leaving and telling us that they had as much or more fun than their children.
AB: In the age of Instagram, where everything from food to makeup is neatly presented, a fun playground, where you can dress casual and get all slimy without worrying about how you look seems almost unreal , but still the visuals of the place look so inviting and Instagram worthy. Have you always had in mind to find this perfect balance and how did you achieve it?
KR: Our culture is so screen-heavy. We slip all day, it impacts our attention span, and the more digital we become, the fewer patients we have.
Sloomoo spaces are inherently photo-worthy – they’re full of color and brilliant design. But when you’re into two-handed slime, the phone becomes less important. It was strategically created to be so.
AB: You started your first institute and shortly after Covid arrived. Especially after Covid, as people embrace more family bonding ideas of how experiences like these help children as well as adults.
KR: The thing we missed the most during quarantine was the simplicity of a hug. Being able to touch is a very important part of our senses.
We provide alcohol wipes so everyone can keep their hands clean and we had no problems. What we have noticed is a voracious thirst to get back into the world and to touch, to feel, to connect not only with others but with oneself.
