Kiztopia apologises, tightens safety measures after child steps on thumbtack at Marina Square outlet
Kiztopia has responded after a seven-year-old girl was injured after allegedly stepping on a thumbtack at its Marina Square outlet on Jan 31.
The incident came to light after Stomper Yang took to social media to share how her daughter got hurt while attending a birthday party at the indoor playground.
She claimed the 1.2cm-long thumbtack had punctured the child's foot and caused bleeding.
She also said she was "insulted" when staff allegedly offered her daughter free ice cream or extra play time following the incident.
A video seen by Stomp shows children jumping in a room before the girl stops and lifts her foot to examine her sole.
The child, who was wearing socks, was not wearing shoes at the time as footwear is not allowed in the play area. According to Kiztopia's website, visitors must wear socks for safety and hygiene purposes.
In a press statement issued on Feb 7, the indoor playground operator said it remained in close communication with the child's mother and that the girl has since fully recovered after receiving medical attention on Feb 1.
According to Kiztopia's internal review, the child approached another adult guest to report pain in her foot before being brought to a stage area for assessment between 10.29am and 10.45am.
Staff then provided on-site first aid, including plasters, and checked the surrounding area for foreign objects but initially found none.
The company said a "sharp foreign object" was later discovered in the party room at about 1pm and shared with the child's mother as a possible cause of the injury.
Kiztopia said it attempted to contact Yang on the afternoon of Jan 31 and continued follow-ups over the next few days, during which she requested compensation and an incident report.
The company said it formally shared its findings on Feb 4, after which the mother confirmed her child had fully recovered following one day of medical leave.
In a reply to Kiztopia dated Feb 5, the mother thanked the company for its apology and investigation, and said she appreciated the CEO's personal involvement in the matter.
The operator also outlined its cleaning and maintenance protocols, including daily wipe-downs and vacuuming, weekly deep cleaning and monthly thorough cleaning of hard-to-reach areas and ball pits.
It acknowledged birthday decorations had previously been fastened using sharp objects, but the practice has since been discontinued.
Following the incident, Kiztopia said it conducted a deep cleaning of the affected outlet, completed a safety audit across all locations, strengthened inspection procedures and retrained staff in first aid, child safety and customer care.
Kiztopia CEO Heidi Tian apologised for the distress caused, saying the company takes full responsibility to learn from the incident and strengthen safeguards to ensure children feel safe and protected.
"As a parent and as the CEO of Kiztopia, my heart goes out to the child and family affected by this incident," Ms Tian said.
"No parent should ever feel worried about their child's safety in a place meant for joy, play, and learning. While we are grateful that the child has recovered, we recognise that even one injury is one too many."
In remarks to Stomp on Feb 9, Yang said staff were not helpful at the time of the incident and first aid was not provided promptly.
According to her, the first-aid box was brought only after she had finished cleaning her daughter's wound herself.
"So far, I haven't received any compensation," she said.
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