Children's bubbling laughter and
beaming smiles fill the room
whenever the bright green Fun
Bus comes to town.
The Fun Bus - a school bus
retrofitted with play mats, a
climbing wall, basketball hoop
and swing - provides a new
option to keep children active
during the day.
"They can't participate in a
gym," said Rondie Simpson, who
co-owns a local Fun Bus
franchise with his wife, Liane.
"This is a place where they can
participate."
The Simpsons, residents of
Ashburn, began rolling their bus
out to local neighborhoods last
October.
A mother-daughter team in New
Jersey founded Fun Bus USA Inc.
because they wanted to provide
fitness opportunities for
children. Their vision was for
"fitness fun on wheels." The
pair decided that a traveling
gym could go to the customer by
way of parties, special events,
day-care centers and schools.
Simpsons' Fun Bus can be seen
parked outside day-care centers
in Loudoun during the week and
at birthday parties throughout
the area on weekends. The green
bus is hard to miss - the
outside is decorated with
colorful bubble letters and
cartoon images of children
playing. The interior is painted
a lighter shade of green and
lined with yellow, blue, green
and red mats.
"Children definitely love it,"
said Marcie Peterson, director
of the Kiddie Academy of
Lansdowne, a day-care center.
Simpson has made it his mission
to keep children active and
happy during their time on the
bus. His enthusiasm on the job
combined with upbeat family
songs make it hard not to have a
good time.
"Our customers are children," he
said. "We have a lot of fun.
There's a lot of laughter."
Two instructors lead the
children through organized
activities that change each
visit. Children can play a hot
potato game and dance to the "I
Can Dance" song one week, and
play on a disk swing and climb
the rock wall the next. The only
rule is that the children use
their "listening ears," Simpson
said. As long as the children
listen to the instructors, they
will have a safe time.
The children are so busy having
fun that they don't realize they
are exercising. They play games
that teach teamwork, and they
learn how to do flips and climb.
"They're really developing those
skills," Simpson said. "They're
amazing." Simpson said he enjoys
his job because he sees the
children developing skills over
time. Simpson and his wife
attended a weeklong training
session to learn about the
activities they offer and how to
work with the children safely.
It's even exciting to get off
the bus, Simpson said, when he
attaches a slide to the
emergency exit at the back.
"Once the session is over [the
children] get to slide out the
back."
At this time of year, it can be
hard for children to get the
exercise they need because
opportunities to play outside
are few. Too often children are
cooped up indoors, out of the
wind, ice and snow.
"With the weather being bad,"
day-care director Peterson said,
"the children need a place for
their gross motor development."
Fortunately, Simpson said,
"inclement weather is our
friend. We are climate
controlled." The bus provides an
indoor heated activity center
designed specifically for
children.
The bus never moves when
children are on it, Simpson
emphasized. He parks the bus and
takes the keys out of the
ignition. A generator provides
the heat and air conditioning.
The Fun Bus visits day-care
centers in Loudoun usually
between 9:30 a.m. and noon.
Depending on the center,
children are grouped by age and
taken on the bus for 30-minute
sessions. A maximum of 15
children are allowed on the bus
at a time. The Fun Bus is
limited to participants ages 2
to 7 because of height
restrictions.
Day-care centers usually book
the bus for one day a week for
10 weeks. Parents can choose to
have their children participate
in any or all of the Fun Bus
sessions for $10 a session.
The Fun Bus also hosts birthday
parties for up to 15 children.
Included in the $275 birthday
package are T-shirts, 15 Fun Bus
invitations, stickers and
tattoos. Children get one hour
of play time during parties. The
bus arrives at the birthday
child's house ready for fun.
"Just give us a parking space
and we're ready to go," Simpson
said. "We do all kinds of
special events." He said the
business can run wherever there
is space for the bus to park
legally. The bus has entertained
children at the Fall for Fairfax
festival and a breast cancer
walk. Simpson compares the
business to a moon bounce, just
with a different appeal.
For any activity parents must
sign a waiver form and provide
basic information about their
child's health. Simpson
emphasized that the bus is
cleaned thoroughly after each
stop or group of children on the
bus. Parents are invited to
inspect the bus or talk to the
owners about any cautions or
concerns.
Simpson hopes to expand the
business to a total of six buses
- two in Loudoun, two in
Washington, D.C. and two in
Maryland. He added that the
business is always looking for
more gigs and more good help.
A father of two young children,
Simpson started this program
because he recognized the
importance of children leading
an active lifestyle in a safe
environment. He said he hopes
the value of healthy, fun
exercise for children catches on
in the area. The Fun Bus is here
to fill this niche.
"I have lost my name - I'm now
'Mr. Fun Bus'," he said. To book
an activity with Loudoun's Mr.
Fun Bus, visit
www.funbuses.com or call
703-717-5405.
Contact the reporter at
jfulcher@timespapers.com