Garden State Plaza opens play center featuring Hasbro's Transformers, Play-Doh, Tinkertoy

The Garden State Plaza mall in Paramus is opening a new play center next week in conjunction with Hasbro — the company that owns such well-known brands as Dungeons & Dragons, G.I. Joe, Transformers, My Little Pony and Nerf.

Once open June 13, the 20,000-square-foot entertainment venue Planet Playskool will boast a variety of play centers for children.

That includes interactive activities featuring brands such as Transformers, Tinkertoy, Play-Doh and Easy Bake.

Planet Playskool “encourages kids to let their imagination run wild and practice their critical thinking skills, while getting them up and active,” said Hasbro’s vice president, Matt Proulx.

Hasbro has another entertainment center in Bergen County, called The Gameroom, at the American Dream mall in East Rutherford.

Future of malls

Planet Playskool will be the latest attraction at a mall that found itself pivoting away from retail and towards an experiential treatment.

As shoppers embrace online shopping, the perks of in-person shopping — experiences like high-end restaurants and bowling alleys, as well as incorporating everyday life services from housing to gyms to dry cleaners — are all strategies malls are embracing to ensure success.

Since opening in 1957, Garden State Plaza, now owned by Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, has become a staple shopping center for Bergen County and the surrounding region.

Rebisz said the mall is really in the business of shopping and “memories” for its patrons.

The Garden State Plaza also plans to open North America's first Nerf Action Xperience venue, though an opening date has not yet been announced.

There, guests will have access to space blaster battle zones using Nerf’s foam-based toy weapons, sports challenges such as basketball shooting games, an obstacle course, a retail store, and food and beverage offerings. Offers will include group event rates and birthday parties.

What Planet Playskool has to offer

The Planet Playskool center is being operated by Kingsmen Xperience under a licensing agreement with Rhode Island-based Hasbro.

Kids will be able to “crawl, climb and slide” their way through a real-life version of the classic Mouse Trap game, or utilize their creativity at the Play-Doh imagination station.

They’ll be able to try out the Easy Bake Cafe or use their creativity with construction-based activities in Tinkertoy Town. And they’ll be able to have fun with the Transformers Autobot Ark to “save the universe,” or try out some arts and crafts at the Spirograph Art Studio.

“Having our first U.S. permanent family entertainment center with these iconic Hasbro brands at one of the most popular malls in the country is a labor of love that we hope families and kids will enjoy and engage with for years to come,” said Corey Redmon, a senior executive vice president at Kingsmen.

Daniel Munoz covers business, consumer affairs, labor and the economy for NorthJersey.com and The Record. 

Email: [email protected]; Twitter:@danielmunoz100 and Facebook

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Garden State Plaza opens Planet Playskool center with Hasbro brands