Notasium: Music based play space and music school

If you’ve got a kid under 10 who won’t stop banging on pots and pans, just go ahead and bring them here. Notasium in Durham is part music school, part indoor play space, and the combo works really well — there’s actual musical equipment to mess around with, a guitar-shaped slide, and enough going on that kids genuinely don’t want to leave. The enclosed layout makes it easy to keep an eye on things without hovering, which parents around here appreciate. Classes are taught by staff who clearly know their stuff and are good with little kids, not just tolerating them. It’s also one of the better birthday party spots in the area if you want something more interesting than the usual bounce house situation.