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Original poster

Soft play prices and session times

27 replies

elliejjtiny · 11/03/2023 14:36

I have dc with sn which makes going out difficult. Soft play is the only place I can take them where I can take them and watch them while also sitting down with a cup of tea. Anywhere else I have to be actively following them around, constantly checking on them, worrying they are going to suddenly run off in different directions etc. It's easier with dh around but he's had to go on work trips 2 weekends in the last month. We are also in temp accommodation which doesn't help as the garden isn't safe here and they don't have their swing, trampoline etc.

Now I know it's been a few years and prices have gone up everywhere but when my dc were little we could go to soft play for less than £5 each for a 4-12 year old and stay all day. Now it's double the price and we can only stay for 2 hours max "because of covid". 2 hours isn't anywhere near enough to wear them out so after spending a small fortune I am now struggling to occupy them as they aren't tired enough to want to just sit and play quietly, watch tv etc. 1 of them wakes in the night regularly too so I am permanently knackered.

I know it's not the soft play's fault and they are trying to claw some of the money back that they lost during lockdown. But I'm struggling and I need to find somewhere they can play safely for longer than 2 hours. In a year or 2 it's going to get worse as they are going to get too tall for soft play and the trampoline parks and climbing walls are even more expensive with even shorter sessions.

OP posts:
Blondebalayage · 11/03/2023 14:37

It’s so expensive - nearly £10 here for one child and a three hour session, and mine is only a toddler.

DESGUSTING · 11/03/2023 14:50

Where abouts are you?

Asking as a lot of SEN places in NE

Marty897 · 11/03/2023 14:55

I found this with some of them, especially the ones that charge for adults too. I don’t mind paying more for the huge ones with loads of different sections but there’s one in the the town near us that is fine but not anything special. The food is also really crap. I have found ones at leisure centres much more reasonable and actually very well maintained.

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BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 11/03/2023 14:57

We have a few that offer different things at different prices. The most expensive one is 90mins soft play, no free WiFi, crap coffee and you have to pay a quid for each adult. It's £13 per child.

Then there's a one a bit further out, only slightly smaller, same crao coffee, free WiFi, stay as long as you like, £6 per child.

Then a range in between.

Okunevo · 11/03/2023 14:59

Is there a decent fenced playground you can drive to?

gogohmm · 11/03/2023 15:03

More than 2 hours in a soft play seems like torture, actually an hour is more than enough. I completely get why they need sessions because they can't afford for people to be occupying tables for more than 2 hours and not being able to let more customers in. The one here is £8 for 2 hours, it's £2 per adult but you get a choice of hot drink with that - this change was due to large groups of adults sitting in the small cafe area watching one or two dc (eg 2 parents, grandparents plus extras!)

Original poster
elliejjtiny · 11/03/2023 15:07

Thankyou. We are in the SW so nowhere near the NE unfortunately. No fenced playground near here either. All the soft play's near me have 2 hour sessions but I will have a look at the local leisure centres to see if any of them have soft play's with longer sessions.

OP posts:
Rantypanties · 11/03/2023 15:14

The insurance premiums have jumped massively this year. I’ve seen someone’s mobile soft play go from £260 to £650 for the year so I dread to think what large soft play would be! Equipment isn’t cheap to replace either.

Winterisalmostover · 11/03/2023 15:18

My local one is £4.50 per child per session. 1 3/4 hours to allow 15 minutes to thoroughly clean between sessions. I think that the equipment should be properly sanitised several times a day. Mine get bored after an hour anyway. I couldn't sit there for hours.

doadeer · 11/03/2023 15:20

My soft play is extortionate too but they a actually do a heavily reduced rate for kids with additional needs, my son is autistic and we can visit for £4, should be £12. They don't advertise it I only found out from a friend.

Have you asked whether any of the places locally do reduced pricing?

User478 · 11/03/2023 15:26

Have you checked local attractions? The petting farm near us has a soft play which is included in entry and you can stay in as long as you like, with annual membership it works out at about £8 a month.

It's usually totally empty during the week and we avoid it at weekends.

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 11/03/2023 15:30

Does he like swimming? 2 hours at soft play is plenty imo for the cost. So maybe other free active stuff nearby added to the day is better. Any skate parks or running tracks for a jog?

pickledprincess · 11/03/2023 15:30

Just been commenting on soft play prices, £12.50 for 2 hours but what grinds my gears is £4.50 per adult!! Why do I want to spend £4.50 just to sit and drink overpriced tea!?

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 11/03/2023 15:31

User478 · 11/03/2023 15:26

Have you checked local attractions? The petting farm near us has a soft play which is included in entry and you can stay in as long as you like, with annual membership it works out at about £8 a month.

It's usually totally empty during the week and we avoid it at weekends.

This is a good shout. We have one if these about an hours drive away so can't make use of it day to day but if we lived local we would for sure have annual passes.

WhereAreTheChocButtons · 11/03/2023 15:34

Ours is 9. 50 for 2 hours. And 2 per adult. Then of course they see the cafe and want something. Plus parking
2 hours normally costs around £50

RidingMyBike · 11/03/2023 15:35

I've got the opposite - just want to be able to drop in for a 60-90 min soft play session. Where we used to live this was about £5. Enough time to have a break (me) and run around screaming (DD).

But the only soft play where we now live is really expensive and is 'full day'. Yes, it has loads of additional activities
but I don't want to spend that much and spend the whole day there, I want a shortish session (under two hours) at a cheaper price. It's priced at 'family day out' level, but if I wanted a family day out we'd go for one - not to soft play?!

MrsBunnyEars · 11/03/2023 15:38

We have one in the local (London) leisure center which is £2.50, officially for an hour but if it’s not busy you don’t get chucked out.

It’s not massive, but it’s big enough to wear DD3 out.

I feel very lucky reading this!

Aftjbtibg · 11/03/2023 15:38

This really irritates me to be honest as my best toke for soft play is 10.30-12.30; I don’t want to have to be somewhere for 9.30 on a weekend, over lunch time or as late as 2.30. Although admittedly mine are done after 2 hours.

Original poster
elliejjtiny · 11/03/2023 15:43

Thankyou. We do go to farms etc with soft play quite often as it works out not much more expensive to go there all day as is does to go to just soft play for 2 hours. The dc need 2 adults to be constantly supervising them at those places though so it's not somewhere I can go to when dh is away. They do absolutely love those places though. One near us has high ropes included in the price which is brilliant. My 12 year old would happily do that for hours. Swimming is a 3 adults supervising activity so we very rarely do that.

OP posts:
CottonSock · 11/03/2023 15:44

My local one has doubled it's price and is probably half as busy. Plus they now charge for adults

MyopicBunny · 11/03/2023 15:50

Can you apply for some money from Family Fund to help pay for their activities?

Ohdearnotagain76 · 11/03/2023 15:54

Call them and ask about discounts for special needs or if they do special needs sessions, most place do but often don't advertise.

Decafflatteplease · 11/03/2023 16:06

Do you get DLA? We use ours for things like this plus hydrotherapy sessions etc.

Soft play around here is around £7 per child and £1 per adult for 90 mins.

Or our local garden centre one is £2.50 an hour which is far more reasonable but it's only really for little ones.

Our local SEN group has a once a month group at a soft play and it's heavily discounted is there anything like that near you?

gogohmm · 11/03/2023 16:26

You say sw, any chance you are Weymouth direction. We take dsd (severe ld's & more) to Kingston Maurward, Dorchester DT2 8PX. It's free entry, indoor and outdoor play. Do check their social media because they also host weddings and close on those days.

ToddlerTerror · 11/03/2023 17:40

elliejjtiny · 11/03/2023 15:07

Thankyou. We are in the SW so nowhere near the NE unfortunately. No fenced playground near here either. All the soft play's near me have 2 hour sessions but I will have a look at the local leisure centres to see if any of them have soft play's with longer sessions.

Where in the SW are you OP? Near me in the SW, there is a wildlife park that has a soft play barn. We pay £8.50 a month membership and for that we can go as many times as we like and no time limit in the play barn so can stay all day if we wanted to.

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