Olon – Indoor Sports & Virtual Reality Entertainment Centre in Seaton
This new venue has something for everyone, from indoor sports and fitness to immersive virtual and augmented experiences.
Review by Carla Caruso
The “olé” song is a popular chant used at soccer matches around the globe. And it’s also what your kids will feel like singing when they discover this new venue at Seaton.
Olon – on Trimmer Parade – marries the best of two worlds: sport and gaming. The venue’s name means “everyone” in Greek, and it truly has something for every kind of kid.
Dubbed “Adelaide’s ultimate indoor sports and virtual reality entertainment centre”, it combines indoor sports and fitness with immersive virtual and augmented experiences. (You can’t miss the giant mural of sports stars like Sam Kerr on its facade!)
The centre has a premium, artificial turf indoor court, which kids can kick a ball around on as the sound of English commentators and cheering plays. The brand new court can also be hired out for club training sessions and team-building.
As well, the court’s the area where you can try free-roam virtual reality. ‘Free roam VR’ is different to the traditional kind in that you can walk around in a large space, with your headset on, and play with friends, adding to the immersive feel of the game. (Taking the headset off afterwards can be a bit of a shock to the system as you feel so submerged in the ‘parallel universe’.)
Olon also has traditional VR, which you can play in a smaller ‘station’ with friends, wearing different headsets. Take your pick from 30-plus VR arcade games (like Space Dance Harmony or Versus Laser Tag) or try a virtual escape room.
Adults can also see what their kids are viewing, behind their headsets, via TV screens at the venue. (An age restriction of 10+ applies for the virtual free roam and virtual arcade, and 14+ for the virtual escape rooms.)
Whether your kids are VR veterans, or have never touched a controller, they should do well with the user-friendly equipment.
Children can also play games on a PS5 or Nintendo with their buddies while sitting in stadium seats worthy of a Premier League club.
Then there’s the centre’s multi-sport simulator, which blurs the line between reality and virtual reality. Youngsters can try sporting skill challenges with their pals or practice on their own, with the help of augmented reality. Choose from sports like soccer, footy, basketball, netball, cricket, dodgeball, dance, and more.
Need a fuel-up? The on-site café serves up barista-made specialty coffee and a seasonal menu.
Olon also offers school holiday programs, OSHC and school excursions, kids’ parties, functions and events, venue hire, and more.
The possibilities here, like VR itself, are limitless!
What we like about it
- Where else can you get virtual reality experiences and indoor sport in the one venue?
- The multi-sports simulator is one of only three of its kind in Australia.
- Older kids are catered for here, as well as the younger ones.
Things to consider
An age restriction of 10+ applies for the virtual free roam and virtual arcade, and 14+ for the virtual escape rooms.
‘Play On’ School Holiday Program, Review, July 2024
Review by Jo Parkinson
‘Play On’ is a jam packed 2-hour session, that includes super fun activities such as mini soccer matches, dodgeball, interactive wall, mini golf, PS5 and Nintendo game area, arts and crafts, as well as a drinks and piece of fruit for all participants.
Our session consisted of 21 kids in our group, ranging in ages from about 7 to 13. After receiving our friendly welcome, we joined the other adults in the café area, which is central to all activities. We loved how we could sit back and relax with a coffee while the kids played. And as a bonus, the area has heaters overhead, so no one gets cold!
The session started with all participants entering the ‘Olon Arena’, which is a fabulous indoor soccer pitch. The kids are introduced to one of the hosts and begin the fun by having a game of Dodgeball. After that, the choice is up to them as to what activity they would like to do, and they can spend as little or as long as they like at each station.
Although the session is unstructured, Olon hosts are scattered throughout to assist and keep an eye on the activities to keep things running smoothly.
Activities
Olon Arena– This large area is where kids can burn most of their energy, playing Dodgeball or Soccer
Mini Golf Room – These cute mini golf courses test skill and improve aim as kids attempt to get a hole in one!
Multi-Sports Simulator– Choose from a variety of sports such as Soccer, AFL, Basketball and Netball. Participants take it in turns to kick and throw balls at the Interactive Wall to try and get a goal.
PS5 and Nintendo Switch Gaming Area – After all that energy is burned off, kids can enjoy some down time by enjoying the super comfy gaming chairs and challenging their friends to games including Minecraft, C.O.D, Pokemon, Mario Kart.
Craft Room – If it all gets a bit much and kids need some time out, there are two separate rooms available. They are nice and quiet and filled with crafting activities, colouring in and board games.
Play On is a great way to keep the kids entertained during the holidays and has something to suit everyone. We love that its affordable, the facility is immaculate, and the staff are friendly, inclusive and helpful. We had a blast and look forward to our next visit!
Location:
86-96 Trimmer Parade, Seaton
Olon is open various times – check their website for times and book online
For more information and all enquiries please visit the Olon website.
All photos by James Elsby for Play & Go Adelaide
At Play & Go Adelaide we make every effort to provide accurate information to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication. We recommend confirming times, dates and details directly before making any plans as details may be subject to change.
As per all our Play & Go reviews, this is not a sponsored post and our review is done completely independently. All photos are by Play & Go (unless specified).
SUBSCRIBE
Want to get all the latest events and activities straight to your inbox?
Subscribe to our weekly email newsletter below to keep up to date with our latest posts and find out all the best events & activities for Adelaide families. Newsletters are only sent once a week, and you may sometimes get a special offer exclusively for our subscribers only!
