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Original poster

Children’s role play village expected you to spend last 15 mins of session tidying up

186 replies

L3tti316 · 21/05/2024 15:06

Now I’ve only ever been to one other role play village and this didn’t happen so unsure if it’s the norm or not? But we paid for an hour and a half session and after an hour and 15 minutes they, and this is no exaggeration, blasted a tidy up song and parents and children I’m assuming felt obliged to stop playing and to tidy up. The man who owned it (I think) started tidying up and putting things back too.

I don’t know if it’s just me but I really feel like those extra 15 minutes should be spent playing and not tidying, especially as we’ve already paid for an allocated ‘play’ session. I understand teaching kids to tidy up but we do this at home, we go to these places to have fun. My youngest didn’t understand why the trike he was going up and down on kept getting removed and my eldest has autism and was getting upset at children/parents removing everything he was trying to play with.

He’s very good at being told ‘let’s get our shoes on and go to the car’ he will immediately stop and do so but he does not understand why things are being removed and why everybody is suddenly running around like headless chickens.

I kind of walked out thinking well that was all a bit weird. There’s no right or wrong answer really but I’m just wondering if anybody else has encountered this before as I hadn’t?

OP posts:
upthespoutagain · 21/05/2024 15:13

Learning to tidy up your toys is an essential part of the activity. Did you think that the owner should put away all the toys by himself while you just walk away?
It is what happens in every nursery and Reception classroom in the country and should be accepted as totally normal. Like getting showered and dressed after swimming or washing up after making a meal.

EggcornAcorn · 21/05/2024 15:14

Rules of play | Titchy Town

Selected at random. The last ten minutes at this venue is devoted to tidy up time, as well as yours. Not unreasonable.

Rules of play | Titchy Town

https://www.titchytown.com/rules-of-play

TheWayTheLightFalls · 21/05/2024 15:15

If I've paid for an activity I'd be really unimpressed for it to be cut short so I can help tidy.

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Families
rwa818 · 21/05/2024 15:16

Sounds reasonable to me! Who would do all the tidying up otherwise the owner? Teaching kids to tidy up is good surely? That's what they do in nursery & school

bluegreenlilac · 21/05/2024 15:16

The one we go to does this too (Ashbourne, Derbyshire if anyone is interested!)

I do see what you mean to be honest although I’ve never thought of it that way before. I can see how it would be disconcerting for children with additional needs.

Tontostitis · 21/05/2024 15:18

I like this about our local role play Cafe.

Overthebow · 21/05/2024 15:18

How much is the session? I wouldn’t want to and haven’t ever tidied up at sessions that are £8-£10 as they are businesses making money, but I have no problem helping tidy away at more volunteer led/not for profit sessions where is a couple of £ per family.

Original poster
L3tti316 · 21/05/2024 15:18

upthespoutagain · 21/05/2024 15:13

Learning to tidy up your toys is an essential part of the activity. Did you think that the owner should put away all the toys by himself while you just walk away?
It is what happens in every nursery and Reception classroom in the country and should be accepted as totally normal. Like getting showered and dressed after swimming or washing up after making a meal.

Like I said I’d only ever been to one place similar to this before and they left 15 minutes in between sessions to tidy up for the next people coming in. Please don’t think I have a problem with teaching my children to tidy up, it’s not that at all, it’s the paying for a play session and having it cut short. If after an hour and 30 minutes they played the song I’d have had no problem whatsoever with helping tidy up.

OP posts:
ASighMadeOfStone · 21/05/2024 15:19

Tidy up time will be an integral part of pre-school and primary activities, and getting them used to it now is a good idea.
I'd also think it fits in well with the ethos of roleplay.

Meadowfinch · 21/05/2024 15:19

They are teaching your child to tidy up after playing. That seems like a very good idea to me. They will be expected to do the same at school/reception.

The organiser will have to pay for the venue. If you want a full 90 minutes play, and have someone else clear up after you and your child, that will cost more inevitably to cover an additional 15 mins rental plus some helpers..

Original poster
L3tti316 · 21/05/2024 15:19

Overthebow · 21/05/2024 15:18

How much is the session? I wouldn’t want to and haven’t ever tidied up at sessions that are £8-£10 as they are businesses making money, but I have no problem helping tidy away at more volunteer led/not for profit sessions where is a couple of £ per family.

For each child it was £6.50 and £2 for adults so certainly not cheap. 😩

OP posts:
Cbljgdpk · 21/05/2024 15:20

I’ve never come across this and to be honest for the cost of these places and the small amount of time I wouldn’t be keen and would consider that the role of staff in the basis I’ve paid for this.
I don’t clean a hotel room afterwards because I’ve paid for it which for me is the same basis.
They learn to tidy up at home, school and nursery. These places aren’t doing it for learning; it’s to save them time

Jellybean85 · 21/05/2024 15:20

That seems excessive ours does this to signal the end of the session (90mins) but song is played once or twice so can't think it lasts longer than 5 mins which seems more proportionate

Original poster
L3tti316 · 21/05/2024 15:21

Tontostitis · 21/05/2024 15:18

I like this about our local role play Cafe.

Perhaps if my eldest didn’t have additional needs I could see the appeal but for families like ours it only caused issues and upset.

OP posts:
AllTheChaos · 21/05/2024 15:21

What @Meadowfinch said. It’s this, or you pay more for a shorter session, with the extra money and time going to pay someone else to tidy up. Sessions were more than that here, 10 years ago (London) with no tidying arequired.

Gemmy96 · 21/05/2024 15:22

If I'd paid for an activity I'd expect tidying up to be factored into the cost, not expected from me and my kids. YANBU

SirChenjins · 21/05/2024 15:22

That seems excessive - they don’t ask children to tidy up at soft play etc. it sounds like they’re using ‘learning’ as an excuse not to have to tidy up themselves.

Ereyraa · 21/05/2024 15:23

It’s part of the role play model. The one near us is the same.

Overthebow · 21/05/2024 15:23

L3tti316 · 21/05/2024 15:19

For each child it was £6.50 and £2 for adults so certainly not cheap. 😩

Show quote history

YANBU in that case, they should factor in tidying up themselves after the session ended.

Original poster
L3tti316 · 21/05/2024 15:23

Cbljgdpk · 21/05/2024 15:20

I’ve never come across this and to be honest for the cost of these places and the small amount of time I wouldn’t be keen and would consider that the role of staff in the basis I’ve paid for this.
I don’t clean a hotel room afterwards because I’ve paid for it which for me is the same basis.
They learn to tidy up at home, school and nursery. These places aren’t doing it for learning; it’s to save them time

We may be in the minority for thinking this it seems. I would have no issue helping after the 90 minutes or maybe if there were some sort of indication on their website or signs up in the building that suggested 15 minutes at the end would be spent tidying, but there was nothing. I tidy enough at home as it is, I don’t go to these places to tidy! We go for fun! 😂

OP posts:
Original poster
L3tti316 · 21/05/2024 15:25

SirChenjins · 21/05/2024 15:22

That seems excessive - they don’t ask children to tidy up at soft play etc. it sounds like they’re using ‘learning’ as an excuse not to have to tidy up themselves.

I hate to agree but it did feel this way. The next session started as soon as ours finished so it felt that way. The place I’d been to before had 15 minutes between sessions in order for them to reset the village so to speak. I also went to a children friendly cafe the other day with a mini play room and soft play and they did the same, they had 15 minutes in between sessions.

OP posts:
MiddleParking · 21/05/2024 15:27

If I wanted to tidy up toys I’d stay at home to be honest.

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 21/05/2024 15:30

Why not make the tidying up a game, @L3tti316?

MaybeItsJustTimeToStop · 21/05/2024 15:31

I've been to 3 and all have had this, last 10 minutes though not 15, then it's 10 minutes to the next session and staff run the hoover round, straighten up the rooms etc in that time. To be fair at the end it was carnage,if it was just staff tidying it'd have taken ages, items from the 'shop' in every room, post parcels everywhere, animals from the vets at the building site, hairdressers stuff in the vets, it would take forever if they didn't get the kids to put things back in the right rooms!

Fargo79 · 21/05/2024 15:32

People aghast at the idea of the owner being expected to tidy up - it's a business. He'll be raking it in, as the owners of the play centres in our area all are. At a community centre I'd absolutely be making my kids tidy up. But no, I would not be paying a total of £23.50 for my family plus probably money spent on drinks and snacks to be spending time tidying away so that a private business can reduce their expenses.