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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To just want to go to th park and not pay £55 a week for soft play

166 replies

bestteacherinwales · 18/07/2017 13:26

That's it really. We live in an area of natural beauty. With wonderful parks on our doorstep but my group of friends much prefer going to soft play.

It costs £4.50 entry. £3.00 for kids lunch with drink and £5.00 for an adults meal. Not including coffee and a drink. I spend £20 every time I go.

I now eat my own meal before leaving but I still spend £55 a week going to soft play as we go three days a week.

I understand when it's raining or cold but on a beautiful summers day or even when the weather is dry and reasonably warm I think it's better to go to the park.

We could have a picnic. Ham sandwich, cheese string, bottle of juice, little cake,fruit. Maximum of £5 total cost for a few hours and food for both of us.

AIBU to think soft play is a wast of money when you can go to the park?

I do know what they mean. They said in th have park you have to watch the Children as they could wander off while in soft play you can relax knowing they can't get out and it's more relaxing as a result.

I agree and love soft play because I can read a book while having a latte 😁

But I think three times a week is excessive and we could spend some times at the park. It's better for them to get fresh air anyway.

AIBU?

OP posts:
Tricycletops · 19/07/2017 16:31

I hate soft play. Mainly because of the amount of time I spend consoling my tiny 3 year old after she's been landed on or pushed over by some bloody great big 7 year old who's taken advantage of Mummy or Daddy's inattention to climb into the under 5s area and start throwing toys about. If you think it's an opportunity to relax with a latte and a book, you are probably making it worse for other people.

LockedOutOfMN · 19/07/2017 16:33

I have always understood that soft play is for bad weather and birthday parties.

I agree with the other posters that you should just invite the others to join your park plans, OP.

Also, you don't need to buy the food at soft play. Go between meals.

paxillin · 19/07/2017 16:43

Soft play is full of not-yet fully potty trained kids. I bet they have nappy leaks and later potty training accidents in there all the time. Do they chuck the balls and wash the spongy insides of the soft things? Do they hell. Boak.

NoSquirrels · 19/07/2017 16:44

I hate soft play with a raging passion. So we never go/went. DH might take them on occasion, he or I will take turns to suffer the soft play parties they're invited to, and their DGPs might take them once in a blue moon. 3 x a week! I'd be climbing the walls, not them Shock

My nicest happiest memories of preschool & toddlers are in the park, with friends or without. Yes, you need to chase them about, but so what? Parenting small people is like that. The park always changes, soft play is always the same. 3 x a week!!

SomewhatIdiosyncratic · 19/07/2017 17:14

I'm setting my DCs a challenge this summer of visiting at least 10 playgrounds and hopefully exploring some new ones.

Soft play has its uses, and I did appreciate it for being able to exercise toddlers and burn off their surplus energy. But three times a week? No way. Much of the UK has had a good summer so far so why waste it indoors in an expensive sweat pit?

There will be lots on over the summer holidays. Look up council run events, local Facebook pages etc. Our area has a seasonal booklet advertising activities and events for families.

Grumpybear16 · 19/07/2017 18:28

What's wrong with actually interacting with your children? Get out and enjoy the outdoors, doesn't matter what the weather is. Kids love stomping in puddles, exploring leaves and plants and looking for rabbits/birds/worms and I love exploring with them! Yes it takes physical effort to go on walks, push them on swings and So much better for their development. Our local softplay is so dirty and I hate to think of all those germs building up.

StealthPolarBear · 19/07/2017 18:30

Do you not think that sometimes soft play is the break from have ing to constantly interact with small children?
Mn baffles me sometimes. If a woman on another thread said "I am exhausted from permanent interaction with demanding small children, I just want a hot coffee and five minutes peace" mners would be tripping over themselves to take her to soft play.

IDoDaChaCha · 19/07/2017 18:31

I've taken toddler and dogs to the park almost every hot day recently: eaten lunch before and the most we've spent is £1.80 on an ice cream from the ice cream van :) even parked a bit down the road on a Saturday (parking £1 at weekends ha) - I don't see the point of spending loads of money when kids are happy playing out. Make use of the nice weather, save some pennies :) agree with others: eat lunch before you go. You could take a coffee in a Thermos too x

toosexyforyahshirt · 19/07/2017 18:32

There is a happy medium between helicopter parenting and letting your little shitbags terrorise everyone in the play area while you sip a cappuccino and chat with the huns

Hey your kids might be terrorist little shitbags but that doesn't mean the rest of us have children like that.

jessebuni · 19/07/2017 18:35

Not unreasonable at all. My kids are luck if I take them to soft play areas more than twice a year. It's fine for the occasional novelty but it's always loud and busy and they enjoy a park just as much. I found a local park that is a bit out of the way but it's very well fenced in and surrounded by larger green areas and not very busy at all with benches etc for picnics. So us mums meet there with the kids and let them run riot and nibble on picnic food for several hours on nice days. Much better than soft play since sometimes we have the oak to ourselves!

SeamusMacDubh · 19/07/2017 18:37

I got to soft play with my DC once a week/10 days, occasionally more than that. I find it a full on experience, DS is 3 and DD is 1 (almost 2) and I have to follow them around the bigger bit, climbing up with them, making sure DD doesnt fling herself down the climbing bits or slides and breaking her neck and generally policing my children and making sure that any other kids aren't being rough or hooligans basically (whilst their parents scroll through Facebook and drink coffee completely oblivious Hmm). If it's busy then we limit ourselves to the toddler bit but I still play with them and encourage them to do different things or make a friend with another toddler. So going more than once a week wouldn't appeal to me and I know what it's like at parks, my DS is a bit of a runner so I have to constantly make sure he's not near the gate(s) and trying to make a break for it.

The softplay we go to offers an annual pass which works out cheaper and can also be purchased using a popular supermarket's loyalty card reward scheme Wink maybe look into a soft play where you can buy an annual pass or bulk buy admissions to save some money? I also never buy anything to eat or drink, we take water with us and I might take snacks/lunch for the DC to have in the car on the way home.

NapQueen · 19/07/2017 18:40

Three trips to softplay a week?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

coddiwomple · 19/07/2017 18:59

Hey your kids might be terrorist little shitbags but that doesn't mean the rest of us have children like that.

Sadly most of the unsupervised child I have seen over the years are exactly like that, which is why I keep an eye on mine.

Littlenic73 · 19/07/2017 19:04

We only ever did soft play as an occasional thing, certainly not more than once a week. If your child is preschool age, there are some very good toddler groups that can keep them entertained and supervised while you have a coffee and chat, and definitely utilize the park more. In this weather it would be crazy not to. Most soft play places are as hot as hell in summer and usually stink where some delightful unsupervised child and stripped off their nappy and thrown it or just peed in the ball pool!

BitOutOfPractice · 19/07/2017 19:18

Three times a week? Crikey! That sounds like hell on earth to me

hks · 19/07/2017 19:23

just tell them you will meet them at softplay once a week they obviously have a lot more cash to waste

i used to meet up with my friend once a week but by the time i paid bus fare to get to the town where SHE lived and then extra for coffee or a meal etc it soon added up

MrsPringles · 19/07/2017 19:28

Soft play THREE times per week? Hells no.

Get to the park with a picnic and enjoy yourself. My 2yr old DS and I frequently go to a local national trust type place with beautiful gardens just us with a picnic and a ball it's allowed! and we have a lovely time Grin

If you're lucky, there might be an ice cream van, woop!

Grumpybear16 · 19/07/2017 19:30

@StealthPolarBear yes I get that, but I actually think that it's much easier to take them to the park than to chase them around some sweaty softplay. Also I know you have to have a break from constantly interacting, but 3 times a week? Surely some playtime should be able having fun interaction, not sitting there chatting while the kids wander off all the time. Surely it's about balance?

yikesanotherbooboo · 19/07/2017 19:30

I am actually quite shocked to hear that people might choose soft play over a playground or area of green to run around in.
Luckily I will never have to go to soft play again until I have the rose coloured spectacles of grandmother hood perched on my nose .
It is awful YANBU!

ShapelyBingoWing · 19/07/2017 19:36

I love my friends, I really do, but I can't think of anything worse than meeting the same group of friends at the same venue to do the same thing (sit in noise with coffee) 3 times a week, especially at such an expense!

But then nor do I see the logic in filling up children's weeks with paid-for activities.

Don't get me wrong, DD and I very rarely spend a day at home, but outside of her being at nursery, it's not because of scheduled activities. And where exactly is the harm in doing some painting at home? Going for a walk? Letting them entertain themselves? Watching a film together? They don't have to run around screaming like lunatics to be entertained.

StealthPolarBear · 19/07/2017 19:36

Grumpy I disagree. Sweaty soft play not likely to be near roads. Agree three times a week is excessive!

Littlenic73 · 19/07/2017 19:39

We saved soft play for those wet days when you meet friends whose children are a bit too boisterous to have round to your house, birthday parties (other people's) and times when you need to read/ study or have a power nap and the kids are a bit hyper.

TeachesOfPeaches · 19/07/2017 19:40

I avoid it like the plague. What could you and your friends possibly have to talk about if you all go to soft play 3 times per week?

Mustang27 · 19/07/2017 20:36

Much prefer outdoors so does my wee one thankfully and my other mummy friends so iv lucked out. Yanbu that would drive me nuts. Softplay=germ infested hell hole imo disgusting!!! Occasional once every couple of months is enough for us.

Maireadplastic · 19/07/2017 21:05

I have three sons aged six, ten and thirteen. I have never been to soft play.

(Sounds like a riddle.)