Big kids at soft play

[MistressPage]

So I'm at a softplay and there is a 6 foot heavily built boy who looks around 15 charging about. It's early afternoon so mostly 2-4 yr olds otherwise. He is properly running fast, leaping and jumping very heavily.
I'm assuming he has some sort of SEN. And I'm struggling with whether to say something. My 2 year old just narrowly missed a squashing. Where does the line come? I mean surely it's a safety issue. Would it be unreasonable to mention it to the staff? Of course this boy has a right to his fun. But does that trump the right of my kid not to be injured?

[DontFundHate]

Our soft play has a height and age restriction. Does this one?

[WhatwouldAryado]

Query the age/ height restriction with staff. They might offer an explanation.

[InspMorse]

As others have said, there's usually a height restriction so politely ask about it at the desk.

[Dexywexy]

I noticed yesterday that my local one has a height chart at the door saying if you are taller than it you can't play. I can't remember what height it goes up to maybe 150 or 160 cm. My ds is 9 and still plays at soft plays. He is 140 cm. I suppose he is getting a bit old/big

[RunningOutOfCharge]

They all have height restrictions

Which is how they get round this sort of thing

[PurpleTraitor]

My ten year old is no longer allowed in our local soft plays, despite wanting to play in it, understanding the needs of younger children due to younger siblings and escorting said younger siblings. Not allowed because of being over 4 foot 9 in one case and over 8 years old in the other case.

Means we basically don’t go anymore, we were regular customers, but I can’t ask a ten year old not to play whilst siblings do.

[TheHungryDonkey]

Soft play insurance will insist on height restrictions - Experience. There had to be an area for children aged three years and under only on mine. There wasn’t an upper height restriction but there was age limits. I remember all sorts of funny exclusions, though I was covered in the event of a murder. Perhaps that’s common in soft play?

[MistressPage]

Ah ok good to know, perhaps I'll have a quiet word with the staff.

[TheHungryDonkey]

Oh just to add to that, I used to run sessions where older children with Sen and those in wheelchairs took priority.

[Dexywexy]

I took my ds to a sen session last night and was wondering if the height restrictions still apply. My ds and his friend are still within the height allowed but won't be long until his friend is too tall.

[TheHungryDonkey]

Dexy it probably depends on set up. I had no older height restriction but an age restriction. There absolutely had to be a three and under section though. Used to stress me out though because there’s a massive difference between babies and three year olds. No matter how hard you try you just can’t please everyone.

[dailyshite]

Are you playing with your child? Can you ask the older child to be careful around the little ones?

[Spikeyball]

Ds sometimes goes to soft play with the agreement of the staff with his school and he is over the height limit but has 1:1 as do all the bigger children and they are not allowed to behave dangerously or go in the toddler bit. I would speak to the staff at the soft play.

[PlaySoft]

Our local soft play has an age restriction (under 10) but no height restriction I can see. I don’t get the point of an age restriction only, because that takes no account of the size of the child. You need age and height surely?

Also with the age thing, that’s just on their parents say-so. Not like having a height chart on the wall that anyone can see to compare against.

When the big kids are in, it just ends up with loads of parents of the smaller kids getting up on the soft play equipment with them to keep an eye on their kids. which is potentially more dangerous, if they step on a smaller child by accident etc.