CONTEST CLOSED. CONGRATULATIONS TO WINNERS JANELLE HRUBY AND ELENA DAVIS-STENHOUSE!

My face hurts from smiling. I’ve just taken my kids to JungleQuest.

And watched them fly through the air with the greatest of ease. And swing and squeal and climb and conquer a rock wall and expand their boundaries.

It was a thrill — as the parent who usually insists they fold their clothes, eat their veggies, and do their homework — for me to also be the one who provided them this particular 90 minutes of thrilling, soaring fun.

THEY cannot stop smiling. I am now, in their exact words, the BEST. MOM. EVERRRR!

JungleQuest, located in Thornton (92nd & Washington, with another at C-470 and Broadway in Littleton) is 12000 square feet of adventure. Upon entry, children (and adults) are fitted with a harness and shown a brief safety video teaching the Laws of the Jungle.

Once they were safely strapped, Tessa (8) and Reed (6) got to:

• Ride the ziplines. There are three of them, of increasing heights and lengths. My children started on the easy one and moved up the scale. Within a couple of tries, they were on the highest wire, zipping across the length of the jumbo room and loving every dangly moment of it.
• Swing from the vines. Two swinging platforms, one higher than the other, appeal to kids’ inner Tarzan. They get hooked in, they leap off, and then swing like a wild, slowly sinking pendulum, until the attendant jerks the ropes shorter again, lifting the Mowglis back toward the ceiling. Two can ride this one at a time.
• Climb the rock walls. Who knew my kids were part mountain goat? The wall offers varying degrees of difficulty, with hand and footholds large and small, as well as outcropped walls. Like with the ziplines and vines, an attendant is there to hook and unhook each kiddo.
• Run the rope bridges. Indiana Jones-type bridges connect the tops of the trees. Kids must forge through to get to ever higher levels, before sliding down a curlicue slide.

Whew! What’s a mom to do among all this mad activity?

The observation decks are equipped with free wifi, so you’ll be able to catch up with your Mile High Mama friends while your rugrats fly. And there is an enclosed play area for children under 42 inches so that they don’t get creamed by the exuberant older kids ($5 for 90 minutes).

Advice? Wear sneakers rather than flip-flops or sandals. And consider calling ahead for reservations. That might help you avoid going at the same time as a large group.

Admittance is $15 for a 90 minute session. JungleQuest is aimed at children aged 5-12, but in fact there are no age limits. The franchise owner tells me they’ve had children as young as 2, and fun-lovers as old as 87. Since I fit nicely in between those extremes, I will definitely be getting myself a harness next time.

JungleQuest also offers party packages that can be tailored to your needs. Maybe I’ll have my next birthday party there. The owner tells me lots of couples come for date nights. Gives new meaning to the word “swingers,” doesn’t it?

JungleQuest offers Mile High Mamas $2 off per ticket through October 31, 2009. Simply mention Mile High Mamas when you call for reservations

• Thornton: (303) 920-0404
• Littleton: (303) 738-9844.

JungleQuest is offering a Family Pack (4 tickets) to TWO lucky Mile High Mamas readers — one for the Thornton location and one for the Littleton location. To enter, simply click here telling us which location you would prefer. No fancy-schmancy verbiage is required, but feel free to take this opportunity to say WHY you want to sample the JungleQuest experience. We will randomly draw the winners on September 25, so the deadline to enter is that last moment of September 24.

Want a second entry? Click the Retweet button at the top of this post, then come back and enter again with the URL of your tweet.

* Note: this review applies to the Thornton location only. While discounts and giveaway will be honored by the Littleton location as well, please be advised that the layout and pricing there differs slightly. Please call that location for more information.

Disclosure: my children were admitted at no charge for purposes of providing my honest opinion ($30 value).