I'm hesitant to give away this secret I've found, because I don't want it to get too overcrowded. However, I also want to tell everyone because it's so awesome and everyone should try it. My husband belongs to the Minneapolis Boulder Project gym which is a huge, modern climbing gym for everyone from the novice climber to the most advanced climber.
On Friday nights they have Parents Night out event. For $15 you can drop your child off at the gym from 6-9pm so you can go have a nice, quiet dinner alone. Or whatever it is you like to do without your kids. For three hours your kids will do crafts, build giant forts, and learn to rock climb like a pro. They get cute little rock climbing shoes when they get there too.
My kids LOVED this event! They did not want to go home. The teachers who ran the evening were so nice and wanted to do everything to help the kids enjoy climbing. Dex described some of the activities in the car on the way home. He said they did a blindfold challenge in which the kids had to help each other climb using correct lingo and directions. They also did an activity where they were given clues to find stuffed animals around the climbing course. When I picked them up, the kids were sitting in a circle sharing what they learned and enjoyed about the night. So cute!
Added bonus- you also get two free drink tokens for the Pryes Brewing Company located right next-door. We stopped in for a beer on our night out and it seemed like a pretty chill place. There's lots of big communal tables to sit and enjoy a good beer and the food looks tasty. While we never ordered any food, we saw a few orders of epic nachos that looked amazing. Most of their food is street tacos, quesadillas, and taco salads. This brewery also had a built-in feather bowling field.
All in all, this was a great experience for all of us. The kids got to have a fun night out learning how to rock climb, and we got a nice, quiet dinner together, alone. I highly recommend taking advantage of this opportunity, but reserve early spaces do fill up quickly.