Offbeat spots around US to spend Valentine’s Day

For smiles, slime and so much more, head to Sloomoo Institute in New York, Chicago and Atlanta

The holidays are gone, the snow shovels are out and there’s still some time before the first sprouts of spring are seen. What does one do to cheer up then in Frigid-February?

Well, thank God for the season of love that gives us a reason to rise and shine. Kick starting the Valentine’s month, each week we will bring to you an ultimate off-beat destination around the country to spend a day with your family, friends or that special someone. We are saving the outdoorsy for summer because indoor fun this season is twice as nice.

So, if you want to discover a secret spot loved by Hollywood A-listers like Drew Barrymore, Christina Aguilera, Jessica Alba, Robert De Niro and many more then 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 a multi-sensory, immersive space that will instantly put a cheer on your face and a spring in your step. The experiential place takes you through many designated areas where you can engage with artisanal slime.

While at the onset you may think of the place as a wonderful kids’ destination, it won’t take you many prompts to get immersed in the fun yourself. With scented, textured slimes that are kept for free-play one can not only experience a rare tactile experience but it can also have calming, 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 ran a challenge to see if slime has a positive effect on well-being and focus.

The engineers used Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) sensors to measure fluctuations in participants’ sweat levels while playing with slime as they underwent certain arithmetic tasks. The same tasks were repeated without the slime.

The results revealed a 39 percent decrease in stress among participants. In some cases, the engineers also noted that playing with slime totally erased the stress caused by a difficult cognitive task.

Researchers are also proving that slime play can initiate ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response) that has been associated with mental-health and relaxation.

The Sloomoo Institute that first started as a pop-up in New York soon expanded to other cities as a permanent place for kids and adults alike to step back, take a few hours away from their digital lives and just give in to sensory play and enveloping experiences like walking in a slime lake or standing under a slime waterfall.

A DIY slime bar also lets you create your own slime as you go through hundreds of charms, scents and colors to choose from. This little exercise, while giving an interesting insight into their own personality for adults, also works as a great way for little kids to learn about making choices and understanding their favorites.

Read: V Day with veterans: Indian American Rep. Ami Bera visits veterans in Sacramento County for Valentine’s Day (February 14, 2019)

A slime wall that is a work of art in itself, ASMR experiences, soundscapes are some of the other attractions in this treasure trove which can be the best date spot you ever had, a memorable family outing or even a great off-site experience for adults!

To book tickets: https://sloomooinstitute.com/pages/tickets

The American Bazaar caught up with Sloomoo Institute co-founder Karen Robinovitz. 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 board of advisors of the Brooklyn Museum. We talk to her about how sensory spaces and communal experiences like Sloomoo are especially helpful during post-Covid times.

AB: During these times when most fun activities are also becoming technology bound, the idea of a non-screen time of a messy-goopy play where you just let yourself be seems like a very refreshing idea. But when you were starting were there any doubts that people may take time to open up to the concept?

KR: One of the most important things about being an entrepreneur is believing in that concept, and having a fearless approach. That is how we felt about building this brand.

Because we experienced so much joy and magic, when indulging in Slime play, especially as adults, we truly believed that we would not be the only ones, and it wouldn’t reach beyond children.

AB: While kids take to slime as fish to water, the idea of introducing slime as a sensory, de-stressing activity for adults sounds brilliant. Tell us more about it. 

KR: We all have so much on our plates and get consumed by the stresses of life, work, family, taking care of ourselves, the news, the world, and so much more.

Being able to leave all of that behind, and tap into the inner child, and play with no self-consciousness is something very few of us do, including the two of us.

When we began playing with slime, we realized that we were in the moment, and truly letting go of everything that weighed us down. Our mission is to deliver joy and enable our guests to come together through the magic of playing.

So many parents visit our space and think that they will not participate and wind up, leaving and telling us that they had as much or more fun than their kids did.

AB: In an Instagram age, where everything is presented carefully curated from food to make up, a fun play area, where you can dress casual and get all slimy without worrying about how you look sounds almost unreal, but still the visuals of the place look so inviting and actually Insta-worthy. Did you always have in mind to strike that perfect balance and how did you achieve it?

KR: Our culture is so screen heavy. We are swiping all day long, it impacts our attention span, and the more digital we get, it seems like the less patients we all have.

Sloomoo spaces are intrinsically photo worthy – it’s full of color and glossy design. But when you’re in slime with both hands, the phone becomes less important. It was strategically created to be this way.

AB: You started your first institute and soon after Covid happened. Especially after Covid, as people embrace more family bonding ideas how experiences such as these, help kids as well as adults. 

KR: The thing we talked about missing the most during quarantine was the simplicity of a hug. Being able to touch is a really important part of our senses.

We provide alcohol wipes, so everyone can keep their hands clean and we have not experienced any issues. What we have noticed is a voracious hunger to get back into the world and touch, feel, connect not just with others but yourself.