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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Play area age limits don’t go out the window in school holidays?

3 replies

FrankieNeverRelax · 06/08/2026 13:09

Every play area that has like an under 3 or under 5 limit is over run with school children and I’m not talking tall 4 year olds. I’m talking 7-10 year olds charging around pushing, shoving, throwing, shouting, swearing etc. and the parents you ask? Nowhere to be seen off in the cafe ignoring them.

Either make your kids stay in the big kid bit (it’s usually much bigger and better) or take them somewhere age appropriate because I’m sick to death of policing other people’s kids and my toddler getting hurt. I wish the actual places enforced the rules they make too so they are also to blame.

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ThankYouFish · 06/08/2026 21:29

YANBU. I remember over Christmas holidays at soft play, my daughter (2) was in the under 3 section, using a large foam shape to climb up onto a step, an older boy (probably around 7/8!) pulled it out from underneath her when she was still stood on it. Parents nowhere to be seen! I usually try and avoid it during the school holidays but shouldn’t have to!

FrankieNeverRelax · 06/08/2026 17:49

Wow that sounds great they’d deffo keep me coming back if I went somewhere that did that!

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DancingonmyOwn88 · 06/08/2026 17:26

We went to a big play area on a day out last week and they had a young guy working there who actually policed the big adventure slide- making sure there was no pushing and shoving from bigger kids, the person had cleared it before the next went down etc etc- it was honestly great and properly took the stress out of it as I always feel I’m monitoring this myself in a busy playground and poor little kids getting elbowed and trampled over left right and centre.

We then went in the soft play at the end of the day and they had someone in there too, checking ages of kids before they piled into the under 5’s zone.

I’d love to see more of that, it made such a difference. Yes, it should be parental responsibility, but many don’t care.