Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Wtf is it with soft play

47 replies

TheSmallestOneWasMadeline · 26/08/2022 19:31

And bigger kids ALWAYS over running the baby/toddler area?

I've been to 3 separate soft play centres in the last fortnight and it's happened at every single one. One of them had a ball pit in the toddler zone and loads of older kids were running and jumping into it, I had to pull my 1yo old out sharpish!!

The older kid area looks so much more fun - big slides, bouncy castles, loads of room etc so why does this happen?!

I am a newbie to all of this so am I missing something??

OP posts:
UWhatNow · 26/08/2022 19:37

Welcome to modern parenting. People completely unwilling to reign in or say no to their precious kids. They must let them have everything they want irrespective of the rights and comforts of others.

Geranium1984 · 26/08/2022 19:39

Is the same with playgrounds 🙄 my 1yo son got trampled by a much older boy (like 6/7) coming through a tunnel.

Not really related but I was at a soft play the other day and there was a girl with a broken arm in a sling on the play area and the mum kept telling everyone to steer clear of her. Surely it's best she steers clear of the soft play for a while!

fannyfan · 26/08/2022 19:39

@Geranium1984 that's ridiculous!!

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

1 year olds Families
IWasFunBeforeMum · 26/08/2022 19:40

And staff who ignore it. Hence why I never go.

SnowyPetals · 26/08/2022 19:40

This type of thing is always worse in the school holidays, I always avoided them in the hols when mine were pre-school age. It won't be long before yours is that "big" kid though, so it doesn't last long!

Poppins2016 · 26/08/2022 19:40

The grass is always greener on the other side...

Whowhatwherewhenwhynow · 26/08/2022 19:43

It’s summer holidays, kids can be thoughtless and careless, staff at these places often don’t do anything to enforce age zones, some parents don’t care, others are too tired to stop them and even good parents don’t have eyes on their older child 100% of them time because thats not how you parent a child above about 4/5.

it’s annoying, but summer holidays will be over soon and these places will be calmer again.

FlyingSaucerss · 26/08/2022 20:53

I agree with avoid them in the summer holidays, surely you have all the rest of the time to go so why bother in the holidays? I don’t even have toddlers but avoid soft play in the 6 weeks holiday as I know how packed it will be and kids running riot, I’m sure your kid will be doing the same when they get older, at our local one they always have to tell kids to stop climbing up the slide etc older kids aren’t usually followed around soft play so maybe the parents aren’t aware.

AnneLovesGilbert · 26/08/2022 20:58

It’s shit parenting, not soft play. But parents make even less effort to keep an eye on their kids at soft play.

It’s grim.

Original poster
TheSmallestOneWasMadeline · 27/08/2022 08:06

True re the summer holidays - maybe il just go week days during term time from now on.

OP posts:
girlmom21 · 27/08/2022 08:12

This is why I always go first thing - to avoid people Grin

SunshineClouds1 · 27/08/2022 08:13

I go for it opening in the holidays it's really quiet.

Rover83 · 27/08/2022 08:21

The honest answer is because no-one monitors it. My older children are often in the toddler areas with their little brother. I remind them before they go in they must be careful but the toddler won't go on anything without them and having them with him in the toddler area is safer for him than them trying to drag him up some of the big equipment and him getting crushed by big kids.

MerryMaidens · 27/08/2022 08:23

We don't live in the UK at the moment and there's a much better system here- the soft plays are in an enclosed area, no parents allowed at all. There are staff all around the soft play that keep an eye on things and engage the kids in games and play and keep the kids in their designated areas.

Much better and as a parent you get a proper break with a coffee etc as you're not expected to supervise. Labour is quite cheap here though, suspect it would make it unaffordable in the UK.

PeppaPigIsAnnoying · 27/08/2022 08:37

Interesting post as I've mentioned this to a few friends

We've not been to soft play for a while but have been to a few different ones and on quite a few occasions there always seems to be 1-2 boys about 7/8 running around like lunatics. My DD is 3, they go barging past little ones totally oblivious to them

Parents nowhere to be seen. No plans to go back to one anytime soon

Skinnermarink · 27/08/2022 08:37

I often tell them to bugger out of the baby but if their parents won’t/can’t be arsed. You never see any staff. I’m always at blimming soft play as I’m a nanny, so I go for work and with my own baby on days off and weekends.

The posh soft play near my work does beer and Prosecco! You can imagine how lax things get there on a Friday afternoon.

Bananas52 · 27/08/2022 08:42

My 1 year old has been trampled on or pushed out of the way by older children at soft play, the park and play groups. Quite often the parents just stand and watch them do it and don't say anything or are on their phone. I don't want to appear to be precious but I also dont want my daughter to get hurt as they are clearly in the 'under 3' area when they are about 8. It wouldn't be so bad if they were playing nicely but they are often very boisterous.

Emmacb82 · 27/08/2022 08:51

It’s tricky sometimes when you have two different ages to be able to supervise both of them at all times. Sometimes my 6yr old comes in the toddler area with the 2 year old but I’m there too and they both have constant supervision. Too many parents see soft play as a means of throwing their kids in and sitting down to enjoy a cuppa. All very well and nice but many a time I’ve had to rescue other kids or helped them when they are lost and their parents are nowhere to be seen.

Flibbyjibby · 27/08/2022 08:54

Was at a soft play with my 1yo a few weeks ago and couple of older kids ran up to their parent at table next to me and asked if they could go to the under 5 area. The mum started out telling them no because there were a lot of little kids and it was for children younger than them…then said “but I suppose you are sensible so go on then!” and they ran off into it!

Womblealongwithme · 27/08/2022 08:56

AnneLovesGilbert · 26/08/2022 20:58

It’s shit parenting, not soft play. But parents make even less effort to keep an eye on their kids at soft play.

It’s grim.

This is it in a nutshell.

TheYearOfSmallThings · 27/08/2022 09:03

A well run softplay won't allow it, although the kids still head for the toddler area because they remember playing there from when they were younger. Obviously the parents should tell them not to.

FarmerRefuted · 27/08/2022 09:03

MerryMaidens · 27/08/2022 08:23

We don't live in the UK at the moment and there's a much better system here- the soft plays are in an enclosed area, no parents allowed at all. There are staff all around the soft play that keep an eye on things and engage the kids in games and play and keep the kids in their designated areas.

Much better and as a parent you get a proper break with a coffee etc as you're not expected to supervise. Labour is quite cheap here though, suspect it would make it unaffordable in the UK.

I'm the UK and there's a softplay like this near us although it is more expensive (£15 a session instead of £4 to £10 like the others).

Adults are allowed in the baby/toddler area but only one adult per child and there is a staff member at the entrance to the area to keep an eye on this. No adults are allowed in the main playframe, if your child has additional needs then they make an exception and you get a sticker to say you can go in but for the main part it's adult-free. They also turn away any under 4s from the main playframe and direct them back to their own area. I prefer the no adults model as they just get in the way, we went to one at the weekend and DC got knocked over by some dickhead being Overly Loud 'look at me' Fun Dad who was tearing around the playframe.

Softplays are generally carnage though.

nomistake · 27/08/2022 09:04

Your kid will be 7 one day OP.

Flittingaboutagain · 27/08/2022 09:08

Basically soft play is full of lazy parents who see it as an opportunity to go on their phones and not supervise. You can clearly see if your child leaves the area for their age and can intervene of you're looking. The parents just don't care.

I have been to a soft play that's £2 and £12 and there was no difference in terms of staff commenting either.

FarmerRefuted · 27/08/2022 09:11

nomistake · 27/08/2022 09:04

Your kid will be 7 one day OP.

And I'm sure OP will keep them out of the toddler area of softplay when they are.

My eldest loves the toddler area at one of the softplays we go to. It has a sensory area with lights, mirrors, and a sound box that makes noises when you touch it. Now I could let them in there to play with it, they're autistic and they love nothing more than rolling around on the mirror floor tiles of that area while everything twinkles. Fuck those toddlers and babies, my DC has a right to play too. But I don't because it's a toddler and baby area. If the softplay is quiet and there are no toddlers and babies playing (we generally go to this one in the evening for the last session of the day) then DC is allowed in there but I make them come out if a baby/toddler arrives. Sometimes he will sneak back in but, again, I chase them out as soon as I notice. Some parents will say just to leave DC there as their baby/toddler isn't bothered so when that happens I keep a close eye to make sure either stays that way and I let them parent know they have my permission to tell DC to leave that area.

It's not hard to be considerate of others without it compromising the children getting to play.